There were some tough times for TikTok devotees while it was actually shut off in the US. Many tears were shed. Many screams were stifled. Many new addictions were started. And then hours later, it was back. So TikTok lives to see another day. So what happened with all that anyway?

TikTok is Popular

TikTok is a short-form video social media app that was started by Chinese company ByteDance back in 2016. Since then, TikTok has quickly risen to be a one of the most popular apps. Its recommendation algorithm has ensured consistent user engagement, sometimes bordering on addiction.

It Pays to Be On Tik Tok

Some of TikTok’s popularity is due to users or influencers who can get paid for creating content. TikTok’s Creator Fund at one point paid up to $0.04 per 1,000 views. So, if a video had 1 million views, that influencer could be paid up to $40. Additionally, users could make money through various sponsorships and gifts. Some used it to promote their own products and services. The more videos and the more views, the more money that can be made.

One of the best known influencers, Charli D’Amelio, estimated earnings were around $23.5 million for 2024. Also, the average influencer makes over $130,000 (a number skewed by top earners like D’Amelio). So why would such a popular app that’s paying people face a ban?

The Problem With TikTok is Privacy (sorta)

Back in 2020, then (and now) President Trump imposed sanctions and proposed banning TikTok based on the idea that it was a threat to national security. Basically, if a company that more or less owned or directed by a foreign government could collect data on a large portion of Americans, that data could be used against them or the US government in some way. Think of things like espionage or deepfakes. But the data the TikTok collects isn’t really different from the data that most social media apps collect. So, some people consider the US to be hypocritical on its stance to specifically ban TikTok.

TikTok’s Saga

After President Biden initially took office, he signed an executive order canceling President Trump’s ban. President Biden wanted the app to be reviewed along with other foreign owned apps.

Congress then did that review and passed a bill that would only allow TikTok to operate in the US if it was owned by a US based company. President Biden quickly signed the bill into law giving TikTok until January 19, one day before the next inauguration, to sell or shut down in the US. TikTok was caught off guard and an uproar started as more users realized their favorite app might go away.

After President Trump won the election and opposed banning TikTok, the Biden administration decided to not enforce the ban. The Supreme Court upheld the law to ban , and TikTok pulled its app in the US just hours before the ban was supposed to go into effect, even through it wasn’t going to be enforced. After soon-to-be (again) President Trump promised to pause the ban, TikTok restored service. And President Trump did indeed issue an executive order officially pausing the ban.

I guess it remains to be seen if we all lived happily ever after.

I tried to do just hit the highlights of the back and forth that happened. If you really want to know the details, you can find a fuller story on Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restrictions_on_TikTok_in_the_United_States