TikTok

Introduction
Pros
- Pro 1: TikTok poses a threat to U.S. national security, serving as a propaganda arm of the Chinese Communist Party while suppressing anti-Chinese content.
- Pro 2: TikTok is rife with dangerous suggestions and misinformation that the government can and should rightly ban.
- Pro 3: A “tough on China” approach is needed to safeguard the United States and its citizens.
Cons
- Con 1: TikTok is no more a threat than American-owned social media sites that also collect and sell user data.
- Con 2: Banning TikTok is discriminatory, undemocratic, and un-American.
- Con 3: Singling out China and TikTok for recriminations is xenophobic and rank political theater.
U.S. federal and state Bans on TikTok
International bans on TikTok
Historical timeline
- 2012 - ByteDance is founded
- July 2014 - Early version of musical.ly launches on iTunes
- April 2015 through March 2016 - muscial.ly takes off
- September 2016 - ByteDance launches douyin
- June 2017 - China’s national intelligence law goes into effect
- September 13, 2017 - TikTok launches in Indonesia
- November 2017 - ByteDance acquires musical.ly
- August 2, 2018 - TikTok merges with musical.ly, launching app in United States
- November 2018 - TikTok overtakes other social media apps
- January 26, 2019 - TikTok allows advertising
- February 27, 2019 - TikTok settles child privacy violation claims
- November 1, 2019 - TikTok reportedly under U.S. national security review
- December 16, 2019 - U.S. Department of Defense issues guidance on TikTok
- December 2019 - U.S. Army and Navy ban TikTok on government devices
- January 2020 - U.S. Marine Corps bans TikTok on government devices
- January 3, 2020 - U.S. Air Force and Coast Guard confirm TikTok bans
- August 6, 2020 - President Donald Trump issues Executive Order 13942
- September 19, 2020 - Oracle Partners with TikTok as part of “Project Texas”
- November 12, 2020 - U.S. Department of Commerce will not enforce TikTok ban
- May 19, 2021 - ByteDance CEO steps down
- June 11, 2021 - President Joe Biden overturns Trump Executive Order 13942
- October 26, 2021 - TikTok’s Michael Beckerman testifies in subcommittee
- June 17, 2022 - BuzzFeed reports TikTok employees repeatedly accessed American user data
- July 2022 - “Project Texas” begins roll out
- July 13 2022 - FCC commissioner says troops’ TikTok use endangers U.S. military
- October 20, 2022 - Forbes reports ByteDance plan to surveil physical locations of specific U.S. citizens
- December 22, 2022 - ByteDance reveals data leak
- December 29, 2022 - Biden signs no TikTok on government devices act
- February 24, 2023 - DATA Act introduced to the House of Representatives
- March 7, 2023 - RESTRICT Act introduced to the Senate
- March 23, 2023 - U.S. Congress questions TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew
- April to May 2023 - Montana bans TikTok for all users and faces lawsuits
- June 2, 2023 - Department of Defense bans TikTok
- November 30, 2023 - Federal judge blocks Montana’s TikTok ban
- January 31, 2024 - TikTok CEO testifies to Senate Judiciary Committee hearing
- March 13, 2024 - Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act Passed in House of Representatives
- April 24, 2024 - President Biden signs the National Security Package into law
- May 7, 2024 - ByteDance sues to stop ban
- August 2, 2024 - DOJ and FTC file civil lawsuit against TikTok
- October 8, 2024 - 14 attorneys general sue TikTok
- October 8, 2024 - Internal TikTok documents reveal plan to influence U.S. politicians
- October 11, 2024 - Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) request TikTok internal documents on child endangerment
- November 6, 2024 - Canada orders dissolution of Canadian TikTok business
- December 6, 2024 - Federal appeals court upholds federal ability to ban TikTok
- December 6, 2024 - Romania calls off presidential election, citing concerns of TikTok interference
- December 8, 2024 - TikTok requests temporary freeze on TikTok ban law
- December 13, 2024 - D.C. Circuit Court denies request to freeze TikTok ban law
- December 16, 2024 - TikTok asks the U.S. Supreme Court for emergency stay on TikTok ban law
- December 18, 2024 - U.S. Supreme Court agrees to review TikTok law
- December 21, 2024 - Albania bans TikTok for one year
- December 27, 2024 - Trump asks Supreme Court to delay start of TikTok ban
- January 10, 2025 - Supreme Court hears TikTok case
- January 15, 2025 - TikTok indicates the app will be completely shut down immediately if banned
- January 15, 2025 - TikTok says U.S. employees will keep jobs if ban is enforced
- January 16, 2025 - TikTok “refugees” flock to RedNote
- January 17, 2025 - Reports say Biden administration won’t enforce TikTok ban
- January 17, 2025 - U.S. Supreme Court upholds TikTok ban
- January 19, 2025 - U.S. TikTok ban officially goes into effect
- January 19, 2025 - TikTok begins restoring service in the U.S.
- January 20, 2025 - Trump issues TikTok executive order
- February 13, 2024 - Apple and Google app stores restore TikTok
- March 14, 2025 - Vice President J.D. Vance confident of TikTok sale by April 5, 2025
- March 25, 2025 - TikTok “wallpapers” D.C. with marketing campaign
- April 4, 2025 - Trump extends sale or ban deadline
- April 6, 2025 - Trump says China backed out of sale deal because of tariffs
- May 2, 2025 - TikTok fined $600 million by the Irish Data Protection Commission
- May 6, 2025 - TikTok tells advertisers “TikTok is here”
- June 19, 2025 - Trump again extends sale or ban deadline
- July 5, 2025 - Trump says U.S. “pretty much” has a deal with China
- July 6, 2025 - TikTok is building U.S. version of app
- September 15, 2025 - “Framework” agreement announced
- September 16, 2025 - Trump extends sale or ban deadline for fourth time
- September 25, 2025 - Trump signs executive order clearing the way for American takeover of app
- October 26, 2025 - Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says “all the details are ironed out”
- December 18, 2025 - TikTok signs deal to give U.S. group control
- January 22, 2026 - ByteDance finalizes American TikTok deal
- January 23, 2026 - American TikTok updates terms and conditions of use
Assessment quiz
1-minute survey
Discussion questions
Sources

References & Edit History Related Topics

Images

Representative Jamaal Bowman speaks at a podium with a Keep TikTok sign, joined by Representatives Mark Pocan, Robert Garcia, and supporters holding pro-TikTok signs outside the U.S. Capitol.

A hand taps the install button for the REDnote app, also known as Xiaohongshu or Little Red Book, on a smartphone screen displaying the app's download page.

TikTok: Media

Should TikTok be banned?

Images

TikTok

Should TikTok be banned?

© imagemir/stock.adobe.com

Representative Jamaal Bowman speaks at a podium with a Keep TikTok sign, joined by Representatives Mark Pocan, Robert Garcia, and supporters holding pro-TikTok signs outside the U.S. Capitol.

TikTok supporters

Demonstrators in support of TikTok listen to politicians during a news conference...

© Alex Wong/Getty Images News

A hand taps the install button for the REDnote app, also known as Xiaohongshu or Little Red Book, on a smartphone screen displaying the app's download page.

RedNote

Installing RedNote on a smartphone, Jakarta, Indonesia, January 16, 2025.

© Wisely W/Dreamstime.com

VIEW MORE in these related Britannica articles: