The restoration of TikTok has little to do with ByteDance and more to do with President Donald Trump’s political regime.
During President Trump’s first term in 2020, he issued an executive order calling for the removal of TikTok. He is now being credited with the rescue of the app.
I have watched the unfolding of the long-winded TikTok ban, from initial rumors of a ban to the reality and then restoration of a shutdown app. The rapid and inconsistent contradiction of President Trump’s opinion concerns me.
President Trump initially raised concerns about TikTok due to security risks associated with its Chinese parent company ByteDance. China requires companies to turn over data, and because of this, members of Congress fear that information from TikTok could get into the hands of China’s government officials.
While Trump is aware of these risks, he has chosen to brush them off. When asked why he changed his stance on TikTok he said, “Because I got to use it.”
He said it helps him to reach a younger audience and there are “bigger problems” than TikTok.
The man who gave momentum to the TikTok ban has decidedly changed his mind. Is his change of opinion part of a political plan to keep young voters on his side? After seeing what President Trump has done in his first week of office, I would yes he wants Generation Z voters on his side.
President Trump used TikTok to boost his campaign, and when the time came to save the app, he found a way. When I asked Vince Brown, director of the Institute of Politics and Public Affairs, what he thought of this for a story I wrote about the TikTok ban, he said it appears to be a “master play of politics.”
The Biden administration chose not to enforce the law banning TikTok, meaning ByteDance did not need to shut down the app Jan. 18. By shutting down they were able to give President Trump credit for their revival. This was a tactic used to convince American citizens, especially young ones, to endorse Trump.
I heard people who had never previously endorsed President Trump praise him for the lifeline he granted TikTok. They were excited about his executive order granting a 75-day extension of the app, but what they weren’t aware of were his other executive orders being signed the same day.
President Trump signed executive orders removing us from the Paris Climate Agreement—again. He signed orders that restrict illegal immigrants and terminated programs designated to diversity. He is choosing to reenact the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, which means the president has the ability to relocate, deport or detain non-citizens from a foreign adversary. But all the headlines I’ve seen have had to do with TikTok.
When I spoke with Geoff Allen, assistant professor of political science about why President Trump would change his mind on TikTok he said, “This is politics. It’s not about good policy.”
I fear that Trump’s decision to focus on TikTok has been a distraction from other policies. He wants others to root for him, even if it comes at the expense of our rights.
Trump used TikTok to gain popularity, and now we must deal with the consequences. A better country may not be as close as we think it is.
President Trump’s decision to continue putting our national security, as well as the rights of Americans, at risk is not worth keeping TikTok. If we keep putting our focus on TikTok, we will lose the reality of what is happening in our country.