On the night of Saturday, Jan. 18, the social media app TikTok became inaccessible in the United States. The official ban, passed by the U.S. Congress, was meant to take effect on Jan. 19; however, the app met its temporary end earlier than expected. Only 12 hours later did the app return, except for those who had prematurely deleted the app. Discussions on the ramifications of the ban include its effect on free speech on social media and the future of TikTok.
TikTok has gained global fame since its inception, chiefly with its American audience, according to ABC News. Students at Fordham have had mixed reactions towards the ban. Many did not expect it to take effect, saying that the government has been threatening a ban on TikTok for years. On Aug. 6, 2020, President Trump issued an executive order addressing supposed threats posed by Tiktok. The order stated: “This data collection threatens to allow the Chinese Communist Party access to Americans’ personal and proprietary information — potentially allowing China to track the locations of Federal employees and contractors, build dossiers of personal information for blackmail, and conduct corporate espionage.”
When asked about the safety of the app, Fordham students mentioned that there were other apps collecting their data, and that they felt there is a bias towards TikTok among government officials due to the nature of conversation on the app.
“On TikTok, there are so many opinions about a lot of different things, including American politics, and I think politicians are afraid of what that can do for the future of American politics,” said Nour Idris, FCLC ’26.
Professor Mathias Klang of Fordham University’s Department of Communication and Media Studies focuses his research on the social impacts of technology, activism and privacy in digital culture. “There is an overwhelming amount of information that says that the way in which data is presented to us by different forms of platforms, such as TikTok, is not very easy to understand and that we are not really aware of how technology is shaping our worldview,” he said.
In regards to whether she felt the ban impeded her free speech, Sanjeda Neha, FCLC ’27, said, “Not really, because I do not post anything important but I can see why people that are politically active on TikTok would feel that way.”
Some students are switching to other video-sharing apps, such as RedNote or Instagram Reels.
“The whole thing is suspicious, but I have RedNote now so I am fine,” said Fatima Kamara, FCRH ’25.
Neha recalled using the app on her way home from work, as she usually does, when the app suddenly became unusable.
“I was expecting it, but I did not expect it to happen two hours before [the 19th],” she said.
Students who had deleted the app before its return expressed regret and grief about doing so, some even joking about their ability to now turn their full attention to their studies and “lock in.”
In the opinion of many Fordham students and that of Klang, the TikTok ban is not likely to affect the survival of the app.
“Yes. I think TikTok will survive. I think you will have a couple of competitors trying to come in, but I do not think it is the end of TikTok,” said Klang.
