Milan Dosanjh
Contributing Writer
TikTok, an app that is home to over 170 million Americans, was banned on Jan. 19, causing an uproar of chaos across the country. Despite this, not even a full 24 hours later, users started to notice that access to the app was restored to numerous accounts, as result of an executive order President Donald Trump administered, postponing the TikTok ban by 75 days. Many Gen Z users issued numerous theories behind why the ban was ordered and went into effect, the majority of them believing that it was politically motivated and purely a calculative stunt. Timing was crucial, as not long after this drama occurred, President Trump was sworn into office. Here at UC Santa Barbara (UCSB), students shared mixed feelings and opinions about the abrupt delay and TikTok as a whole.
Once the ban was activated across the U.S., a wave of frustration, sadness, and confusion swarmed social media. A significant concern that arose regarded numerous videos that users had saved and drafts that many had compiled — only to be potentially lost “forever.” This plethora of emotional weight felt like a wave of nostalgia for those that have been on the app throughout its lifespan. Naturally, letting go of those memories felt monumental. “I saw the concern with the ban mostly for people that have been using the app for so long. The saddest part for me was having to let go of all of my drafts and saved videos and also just being able to make videos for myself.” Paris Huynh, a second-year political science and communications major, told The Bottom Line (TBL). Like Huynh, most TikTok users could agree that they used the app favorably for independent use, creating small edits and videos of their lives, and that losing their favorites was bittersweet.
Additionally, the spread of news and of all sorts of crucial information was always circulating on TikTok. Many students noted that they obtained most of their knowledge about world events via TikTok. “I got a lot of my news from TikTok. It really does foster good points and community and has a great way to circulate information when needed,” Katharine Hoang, a first-year global studies major, said. While the content on TikTok could be considered controversial, many individuals were educated, informed, and reached due to its system of sharing. With this in mind, the banning of TikTok became a critical roadblock for all things pop culture, political, and personal.
However, TikTok’s pity parade didn’t last long, as the app’s access was restored for all users across the country in less than a day when Trump’s executive order to postpone the banning of TikTok for 75 days was enacted. While most TikTok users were relieved at the sudden deactivation of the ban, skepticism arose. “It’s all really calculative,” said Zoe Tyler, a second-year political science major, in an interview with TBL. Speculations surrounding the speed at which the ban was lifted were definitely prevalent, with all leads tracing back to Trump and his relations with TikTok. When the ban began on Jan. 19 (at approximately 7:30 p.m. PT) users noticed a rather peculiar message from TikTok, alerting them of the ban — with a clear and biased “thank you” to Trump in their sign-off. “Trump really did seem like a savior,” Tyler said. She highlighted the fact that the way TikTok “worked out” an agreement with the President — proceeding with a 75-day delay of the ban — seemed completely calculative and portrayed Trump as a savior, but many weren’t buying it.
Upon returning back to TikTok, many users noticed new censorship models. Specific keywords that resonated with movements and politically influential figures were silenced. “I noticed a ton of censorship. Searching certain keywords or, even, names seemed to have been erased, and that seems politically motivated,” said Tyler. A storm of confused TikTok users theorized that the ban may have indeed been a political ploy to reinforce Trump’s reputation. Considering his recent public relationships with multi-billionaire CEOs of gargantuan companies, such as Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, this theory does seem to be confirmed. A TikTok with the caption “Someone touched our stuff when we were gone.” further contributes to this idea, consisting of a user hinting towards a possible interference with our data and the content of TikTok in the wake of the deactivation of the ban. The attention is pointed not only towards Trump but also what contingencies may be in place for the rest of his presidency, leaving a haze of uncertainty and skepticism that still lingers in the air today. We all must wonder if TikTok is merely a harmless app or a glimpse into the shifting tides of power, money, and control of the political realm in our country.