Is TikTok Actually Banned?

by Isabella Zollner

A possible ban on TikTok has been on some people’s minds and feeds recently. After India banned TikTok, along with 58 other apps owned by China, some American politicians requested an American ban. People quickly became panicked and the news of a ban on TikTok spread like wildfire. But is there any truth to this rumor? Well, there is a lot more to unpack than a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’.

Does the U.S. Government Want to Ban TikTok?

Some members of the government do, and some don’t. The political figures against the ban on TikTok have been notably less vocal than those in support of the ban. When the Senate has a hearing on the TikTok ban in a week, we will see more clearly who is against the ban. However, two Senators in particular stick out when it comes to support of a ban. Senator Josh Hawley (R — MO) and Senator Rick Scott (R — FL) were the first to propose a ban on TikTok all the way back in March! This ban is having it’s first hearing on July 22nd — in two days.

What Would This Ban Do?

There has been a lot of talk recently that TikTok will be completely banned. But, the current bill doesn’t do exactly that. The creatively named “No TikTok on Government Devices Act” will only affect government employees. Now, this does include every Federal Employee. Which is everything from the mail carriers to the President. But, to add to the ineffectiveness of this ban, federal employees are only banned from TikTok on government devices, not their personal devices. What that means is that unless you are a government employee using a government device, nothing at all will change for you.

Does the Ban Actually Change Anything?

This is actually a pretty short answer. Not at all. Because of how specific this ban is, most Americans will not be affected. And in fact, most government employees won’t see anything change either. This is because The State Department, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Defense, and TSA have already banned TikTok on their employees government devices. So not only is this bill curated toward a very small group of people, it also happens to already be in effect for most of those people. At this point you might catch yourself thinking, “Wait, what even is the point?”

Wait, what even is the point?

Well, clearly Senator Hawley and Senator Scott’s goal wasn’t to protect our nation’s security by banning a social media app. Even if what I just wrote about didn’t convince you of that, the fact that the brilliantly named bill is only 2 pages long should finish the job. So if Senator Hawley and Senator Scott weren’t trying to protect our nation’s security what were they trying to do? Sadly, considering the circumstances and media reaction, I’m betting this was a plan aimed at getting media attention. This has evidently worked to the Senators’ benefit. Because of the misrepresentation of the nature of this ban and because of fear surrounding the whole situation, Senator Hawley and Senator Scott have succeeded in further dividing the public.

So Can TikTok Be Banned?

When considering this question, we need to think about the plausibility of it. For the government to completely ban an app in America, they would first have to pass legislation to restrict personal cell phones. The government hasn’t banned an app before, according to data specialist Jennifer Golbeck. There would need to be new legislation created to allow this to happen. But, even if that legislation passed banning TikTok a new bill would have to be created for the purpose of completely banning TikTok, it would have to pass. The Supreme Court would also have the opportunity to overturn the law if it is unconstitutional. So a complete ban will almost certainly not come to pass.

So overall, the TikTok ban has been overdramatized for the sake of Senator Hawley and Senator Scott. People have been sharing information without being properly informed, and it is creating a dangerous situation. So look into this issue further and educate yourself. Help stop the flow of false information by educating people on the truth of the matter. Here’s a good resource to learn more about the issue.

About the Author:

After being subjected to homophobic harassment in the classroom, Isabella decided to try and use her writing to encourage others to stand up for each other and themselves. Isabella is a high school student in Lafayette, IN.