TikTok on the clock: WashU reckons with TikTok ban

| Contributing Writer

Jaime Hebel | Head of Illustration

As the spring semester kicked off, WashU students found themselves juggling the usual stressors: starting new classes, joining clubs and organizations, and securing that elusive summer internship. However, this year brought an unexpected source of anxiety — the impending TikTok ban, which was set to take effect on Jan. 19, just one day before President Donald Trump’s inauguration.

The TikTok controversy began in August 2020 after Trump issued an executive order banning U.S. companies from doing business with TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance. Soon after, he ordered ByteDance to divest from TikTok’s U.S. operations. The demands were later dropped after former President Joe Biden’s election. In March 2024, a bill to ban TikTok or force its sale gained traction, passing through Congress and receiving Biden’s approval. On Dec. 27, 2024 Trump asked the Supreme Court to pause the ban for a “political resolution,” but they voted to move forward regardless.

For many, the first week back in classes became a race against the clock to prepare for the potential loss of the app that had become a cultural cornerstone. Top creators like lifestyle influencer Alix Earle and beauty guru James Charles took to livestreams in emotional farewells, while others, such as the once-popular entrepreneur Sienna Mae, used the moment to revisit and air out past TikTok controversies.

Students frantically downloaded their favorite videos, filled their camera rolls, and posted content with abandon — because, in their eyes, there was nothing left to lose. During this week of uncertainty, WashU students expressed mixed emotions about the looming ban.

Senior Sydney Henderson had conflicting views on the ban — she was disappointed to let the app go, as TikTok served as her “primary source of entertainment and news.” However, “it would probably be good for me to be on TikTok less,” she said. She noted the challenge of adapting, explaining, “I feel like I’ll have to go seek out news more on my own without the app.”

First-year Sam Fox School student Lucia Thomas expressed frustration over TikTok’s removal, explaining its importance beyond entertainment. For Thomas, the app was integral to promoting her small business, which specializes in personalized pet portraits.

“TikTok is my main way of advertising my artwork and getting people on my waitlist,” Thomas said. “It’s not the end of the world — losing TikTok — because, obviously, there are other platforms I can advertise on, but TikTok is where I started and where I have my largest following. This is how I make money in college, but I can’t imagine how hard this must be for people whose entire livelihood depends on the app.”

On Jan. 17, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the federal law banning TikTok, ruling that the national security risks posed by the app’s ties to China outweighed concerns about free speech. When it came to the topic of national security, students were candid, expressing largely unbothered opinions about data privacy and the ownership of TikTok.

“Ever since I’ve been on social media, I’ve never been under any delusions that my data is private,” Henderson said. “I do hear the security argument, but it seems more to me that the U.S. government doesn’t like the free speech and lack of censorship that occurs on the app. I know Meta has given entities in China and Russia our data, so I feel like China having access to data through my using the app doesn’t really make a difference. If anything, it’s undercutting Mark Zuckerberg.”

Others echoed Henderson’s indifferent attitude regarding the app’s controversy with surveillance and user privacy.

“I have never thought about who owns TikTok for a day in my life,” said senior Eli Perlin.

The evening of Jan. 18, a notification popped up on American TikTok screens that read: “A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now. We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office.”

In response to the ban, some users were considering joining a new platform similar to TikTok, even if it were under foreign ownership.

“If they put something out there that’s the same thing but a new version, honestly, why not?” Perlin said.

First-year Marshall Fisher shared his brief experience with Xiaohongshu, also known as RedNote, a Chinese social media app that had its sudden claim to fame as the star replacement for TikTok.

“I read that a bunch of people were switching, so I downloaded it to check it out. But it definitely didn’t have the same vibe,” Fisher said. “Maybe I’d consider downloading another TikTok alternative if it gained enough traction.”

Associate Professor of Political Science Sunita Parikh teaches the class “The Politics of Privacy in the Digital Age.” She explained that the U.S. government holds foreign firms to different standards than American-owned companies.

“Foreign firms are just treated differently,” Parikh said. “In the case of TikTok, the fact that it is Chinese-owned means that it is subject to scrutiny based on China’s status as a ‘foreign adversary.’ This is consistent with longstanding telecommunications law dating back to the early 1900s. When Rupert Murdoch wanted to buy regulated media, he became a U.S. citizen.”

To the surprise of many students, TikTok began restoring its service to users less than a day after its temporary shutdown on Saturday evening. The company announced on Sunday that it was in the process of reinstating access after Trump pledged to pause the ban through an executive order on his first day in office.

“We thank President Trump for providing the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will face no penalties providing TikTok to over 170 million Americans and allowing over 7 million small businesses to thrive,” TikTok said in a statement posted to X. “It’s a strong stand for the First Amendment and against arbitrary censorship. We will work with President Trump on a long-term solution that keeps TikTok in the United States.”

Following the return of the app just one day later, Perlin said the situation felt increasingly “political” and “gimmicky,” citing TikTok’s direct acknowledgment of Trump in its statement.

“I think the weirdest part is just the overtness of it,” Perlin said. “It’s bizarre to see them literally thank a politician in a direct notification when there has been no change in policy.”

Henderson also expressed unease at the swift reversal of the app’s ban. “Given how popular and widely-used TikTok is, I assumed the ban would be temporary, but I didn’t expect it to make a comeback this quickly,” she said. “I do think both that message and the one that popped up last night about the ban were odd in how they seemed to be trying to flatter Trump. But appealing to his ego is probably a smart move on TikTok’s end.”

The rapid reinstatement of TikTok, coupled with the political maneuvering surrounding its ban, highlights the complex intersection of technology, free speech, and government regulation in the digital age. For WashU students, the brief uncertainty surrounding the app served as a reminder of how deeply platforms like TikTok are ingrained in daily life — not just as a source of entertainment but as a tool for connection, creativity, and commerce.

As the dust settles, questions about data privacy, censorship, and the role of social media in shaping culture remain. For now, though, the familiar scrolling resumes, leaving many to wonder: How long will the reprieve last, and what does the future hold for TikTok in America?

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