TikTok Is Probably Getting Banned For Real: Here’s What You Need To Know

TikTok is finally on the rocks, or is it?

Annabelle Bulger, Fun Coordinator

January 17, 2025

Knight Writers Online Manager Ryan Rolle opens the TikTok app.

The Chinese social media app TikTok has been a source of tension in American politics for almost 3 years now. Because of its Chinese ownership and the Chinese government access to American data, Congress has been pushing a bill to officially ban TikTok for some time. In April of 2024, President Biden signed the PAFACA act that would seal TikTok’s fate… maybe. While it is very likely that TikTok will be banned Jan 19, there are some loopholes that could be used to save it. In the case this doesn’t happen, here’s what to expect.

The PAFACA Act, or Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, grants the government authority to ban foreign-owned apps that it deems a threat to national security” according to NPR News. With the Chinese government having almost free access to any and all data stored in the TikTok servers owned by ByteDance, the government has deemed this a security issue because of the potential damages that could come from tracking said data.

US-government issued devices have been banned for having TikTok on them for 2 years already, but over 9 countries including Uzbekistan, India, and Jordan have banned TikTok for reasons ranging from personal data law violations to failing to censor posts that encouraged violence and disorder, according to Context News.

While it is understandable why TikTok is getting banned, it does also bring up serious conversations about free speech. While the PAFACA only applies to foreign-owned apps, many are asking if it will be extended to domestic apps and questioning when does a mobile application become a national security risk. Protests have been happening, whether that be digital or in-person, mainly over the right to use and participate on any app because of free speech. However, TikTok’s supporters may be getting a little ahead of themselves.

According to NPR, the main part of the ban makes it so that you can no longer download the app from Apple or Google stores or update it; if you already have the app, you can still access it. The catch is that because the Apple or Google stores don’t support it, you can’t update it and service will be incredibly slow, it will crash often and bug a lot. You can still download videos and view ones you have saved, so even if it is glitchy, you can still access videos. The new Trump administration is also debating slowing or delayed the implementation of the ban, but with both the House and Senate majorities supporting the ban, it may be hard to do.

The TikTok story isn’t over with this ban. This controversy has brought important questions about data, internet rights, and free speech vs. national security into the public eye in a way that we have never seen. While you may be concerned about not keeping up with your favorite TikToker anymore, the issues surrounding this ban are very more interesting and consequential.

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About the Contributors

Annabelle Bulger, Fun Coordinator

Annabelle Bulger is a senior at Robinson and this is her second year on staff. She is the Fun Coordinator for the Knight Writers. Bulger has been dancing since the age of three. She's has done ballet, jazz, tap and musical theatre dance. She has lived in Georgia, Tennessee, Kansas, Washington, Texas and now resides in Florida. "Dancing has pretty much been one of the few constants in my life, no matter where I went, I had dance," Bulger said. She has gone on a few adventures. Her mother would take her on hikes during her time in Washington state. She hated it initially, but she eventually began to enjoy it. She started to like hiking more when she realized how beautiful the landscapes were. "My favorite was hiking in Mount Rainier National Park, in Washington, in the summer of 2022," she said. "I hope to travel more once I graduate, either to Europe, New York City, Yellowstone National Park, or Washington, D.C." Bulger loves traveling and would love to travel and explore more places once she's done with school and college. She also loves Journalism because it gives her the freedom and space to write about whatever she wants and gives her peace of mind. “I joined journalism because I always wanted to be a part of a school newspaper or yearbook, and I got suggested to Mrs. Webster as a staff writer. I love the energy of the class and how we work together to create our final product,” Bulger said. Annabelle plans to do more fundraisers and help build a positive environment in Newspaper. She wants to focus on expanding her portfolio to include more topics. "Last year I mainly wrote opinions and A&E, and this year I want to do more sports and news," Bulger said. Bulger has always loved non-fiction books. Some of her favorites include Wright Thompson's "The Cost of These Dreams" and Tom Wolfe's "The Right Stuff." "I loved the way these authors told their stories," Bulger said, "and they continue to inspire how I approach my writing." Bulger says Thompson and Wolfe are two of her biggest inspirations. After graduation, Bulger is pretty set on her plans after high school, as she has a plan for college and after college graduation. "I’m set on my future careers. I want to be an Air Force pilot and maybe once I retire, I’ll become a journalist or a screenwriter, I’ve always loved creating stories. I plan on pursuing an engineering career with some minor in either STEM or literature," Bulger said.

Winter Carbajal, News Editor

Winter Carbajal is a junior at Robinson and the News Editor of the Knight Writers. This is his second year on staff and first year as an editor. Carbajal was drawn to journalism by a deep love of reading and writing, driven by an interest in journalistic nonfiction from authors such as Garrett Graff, and science fiction novels. These types of books coupled with a love for the news led Carbajal to journalism. Another draw to journalism, Carbajal noted, was his love for watching the news. "I've always liked watching the news and listening to news and following news media," Carbajal said. During Carbajal's time on staff, he has discovered a love for interviews and the portraits of people they provide. Despite the fact most of his interviews are over phone or email, Carbajal also enjoys getting out to interview people. He noted the changes his interview skills have gone through after being on staff for a year, in addition to his unexpected enjoyment of the interviews. Carbajal has also enjoyed writing general news stories as well as movie reviews. "I just like to talk to people and get their perspectives on a given thing," Carbajal said. His love for film extends into his writing, as his most successful stories are reviews of his favorite movies. "Those are pretty easy...talking about things I like," Carbajal said. Outside of his journalistic endeavors, Carbajal explores other aspects of his creativity, namely through fiction writing and visual art. In his visual art, he explores drawn landscapes, encompassing natural phenomena as well as architecture. About outside interests, Carbajal expressed a love for exploration and reading. A book Carbajal recently finished is Garrett Graff's Raven Rock: The Story of the U.S Government's Secret Plan to Save Itself. "I like to get engaged with different things. I like exploring," Carbajal said. Carbajal often finds ways to link these interests with his journalism, tying together his reading and writing skills.

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TikTok Is Probably Getting Banned For Real: Here’s What You Need To Know

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