ProCon’s TikTok Quiz
- Question: Which company owned TikTok until a deal was announced in January 2026 for the creation of an American version of the app?
- Answer: Launched internationally in 2017, TikTok was created and owned by the Chinese company ByteDance.
- Question: Which of the following was a common argument for keeping and not banning TikTok?
- Answer: The belief that TikTok was no more a threat than American-owned social media sites was commonly held among supporters of TikTok.
- Question: When the Chinese-created TikTok was launched internationally in 2017, it was seen as part of China’s “Digital Silk Road” initiative for expanding China’s influence. What does Silk Road refer to?
- Answer: The Silk Road was a network of ancient trade routes, mostly over land but also via sea, that connected China and the West, facilitating trade for some 1,500 years.
- Question: Which U.S. president promised to “save” TikTok from being banned in the United States?
- Answer: On January 20, 2025, day one of his second term in office, President Trump signed an executive order to delay the U.S. ban on TikTok, following through with his promise to try to save the popular app. In January 2026, President Trump announced a deal with China for the creation of American version of the app.
- Question: What happened to TikTok on January 19, 2025?
- Answer: On the morning of January 19, 2025, at 12:01 am, TikTok was officially banned in the U.S. as the sale-or-ban law went into effect. However, TikTok began restoring service later in the day after president-elect Donald Trump promised to work toward a solution to keep TikTok open for American users.
- Question: Which U.S. president signed the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, dubbed the “TikTok bill”?
- Answer: President Biden signed the so-called “TikTok bill” on April 24, 2024, giving TikTok’s owner 270 days to sell the app and prevent its ban in the United States.
- Question: At the start of 2026, which was the most popular social media site with Americans?
- Answer: At the start of 2026, YouTube was most popular social media site, with 84 percent of Americans using the platform, followed closely by Facebook (71 percent), Instagram (50), TikTok (27), Whatsapp (32), Reddit (26), Snapchat (25), and X (21).
- Question: Which of the following was a common argument for banning TikTok in the United States?
- Answer: The belief that TikTok poses a threat to U.S. national security was a commonly held belief among opponents of TikTok when the app was controlled by China.
