Is TikTok Over In The US?
💬 Quick CONVERSATION STARTERS:
TikTok’s “What’s Next Trend Report 2025”
What do creators, journalists, and social media experts think?
🚨 Webinar alert Jan 21 — Do you want TikToker Aaaron Parnas to answer your questions about TikTok?
🚨 $25,000 Substack prize alert — Can Substack attract TikTokers?
Should TikTok be banned?
Well, it depends who you ask to…
This past week, outgoing White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked: “The Supreme Court indicated today that it will allow the TikTok ban or divestment ruling to proceed with the deadline of January 19th. Does the administration have a position on whether that should happen? Of course, the incoming administration, he [Trump] has changed his view.”
She answered: “Obviously, the president signed the bill, and we believe it’s not a — it’s not a ban. It’s a divestment. And obviously, there are provisions in that on how to move forward. It’s in the courts. We’ve allowed that process to play out. I don’t have anything else to add beyond that.”
In the meantime, US President-elect Donald Trump has been quite clear on his stance: “Why would I want to get rid of TikTok?” Trump said last week, posting metrics of his reach on the platform.
Late last month, Trump urged the US Supreme Court to delay implementation of the ban, which is set to take effect Jan. 19, one day before Trump’s inauguration.
Unless the court or the Biden/Harris administration intervenes, app-store Apple and Google — as well as Internet hosting providers — could face billions of dollars in fines if they keep TikTok live on their services past that date. The app would still work, but it would become inoperable as updates would not be available any longer in the US — something that could have severe repercussions on security as well.
So, what do you think the future of TikTok is? Well, we ran a poll…
Our Instagram poll reveals there’s a split between those who believe the Supreme Court will uphold the ban, and those who think the ban will be put on hold until Trump’s takes office on January 20 — maybe just a well-wish.
also ran a poll in :57% think the Supreme Court will grant an injunction to push the decision into Trump Administration
64% said the Curt will not rule in TikTok's favor
In the meanwhile…
, author of , during CES Las Vegas, “TikTok just released their What’s Next Trend Report 2025.”“In a nutshell: Consumers are having much greater influence on the products and services that are created and how they are marketed,” Lia explained.
Also, Substack’s
and are offering 👀 a $25,000 prize for TikTokers posting about moving to … Here’s our take 😎What do creators, journalists, and social media experts think?
“From a legal perspective, it did not go well for TikTok,” commented content creator — and lawyer —
following the hearing at the Supreme Court.
🚨 TikTok webinar alert - Do you want Aaaron Parnas to answer your questions about TikTok?
Aaaron will be live 2 days after the ban deadline and just 1 day after Trump takes office. Don’t miss your chance and register for TikTok and the Future of Digital, a live event with Aaron Parnas and the National Digital Roundtable January 21 at 12pm ET:
Aaron pointed out here on Substack: “What happens if TikTok is banned? As someone who grew a following of more than 1.6 million Americans, I’ll be the first to tell you that it shouldn’t be. But, if it is, I’m going to make Substack, and this newsletter, one of my primary homes.”
, “Tucker Carlson on stage at the billion follower summit in Dubai saying he does NOT support the TikTok ban. Says he will join TikTok in protest if the ban goes through. Tucker (correctly fwiw) says that the US govt has no interest in ‘protecting children’ and that the TikTok ban is happening because young people on the app challenged the government’s narrative on foreign policy.”In December, Taylor said: “A lot of people seem to be in deep denial about the TikTok ban.” She added: “This ban sets the stage for more government restrictions on free speech and expression.”
Social media and content creator economy expert
predicts “TikTok really could go down, but it'll be for a day or week, then Trump will save it once he's in office.” He added: “Only 38% of Americans support the ban, and there's no better lay-up for his early presidency than bringing back an app used by 170 million Americans.”Reactions from Substack’s creators and writers:
- wrote in : “Since TikTok isn’t owned by a US company, it’s been the least beholden to manufactured consent. With a ban, the gatekeepers can use American-owned platforms to better cultivate the legitimizing myths keeping them in power.”
- pointed out in : “Can a Chinese-owned cultural phenomenon, one that more than 150 million Americans give the details of their lives to each day, really be banned? Hell yeah it can. It’s shocking, sure. But don’t let anyone call it “unthinkable.” Regulators have kicked Chinese companies out before.”
“I think TikTok is going to be saved,” said
in . “Someone will parachute in—maybe Trump, maybe the courts, maybe an 11th-hour buyer—to save TikTok and keep it on our phones. I just don’t think it’s going away.”- in : “Politically, there's a division. Some lawmakers support the ban as a safeguard against foreign manipulation, whereas others see it as an overreach that could set a dangerous precedent for digital rights. The case has implications beyond TikTok, potentially affecting how the U.S. navigates the fine line between protecting its citizens' data and upholding constitutional freedoms in the digital age.” He added: “This hearing [at the Supreme Court] marks one of the most significant confrontations between technology, national security, and constitutional rights in recent history.”
“The idea that the government could just ban an entire social media platform defies the First Amendment,” wrote
in . “It would be unprecedented.”- and argued in : “The upcoming ban will also be adjudicated in the court of public opinion as Americans try to decide whether the loss of access to TikTok would be a reason to protest or celebrate.”
- explained: “The Justices noted that the law does not seek to ban TikTok, per se, but instead seeks to ensure that such a highly influential app, one with millions of users in the United States, was not owned by a foreign adversary.”
“It was an intense few hours with the justices questioning the government’s lawyer about Congress’s hypothetical fears about national security threats,” commented the Supreme Court hearing
in .