My mom broke the news to me that the U.S. would finally follow through with their decision to ban TikTok. Bay News 9 sent out the text confirming that not only TikTok, but an app called WeChat would be banned by Sunday, Sept. 20. The Chinese owned apps will no longer reside in the app store.  

In order to “guarantee our national security and protect Americans from the threat of the Chinese Communist Party,” according to President Trump, TikTok will be removed from the app store to ensure that the Chinese government can’t take personal information from the users of the app.  

TikTok leaving the app store seems like an inconvenience to the 50 million daily active users of TikTok, as the app is a fun place to wind down and create content. Personally, I wouldn’t mind if the Chinese government had my personal information. They wouldn’t have much to do with it anyway. They could see my interests and my name but what good does that do them? 

TikTok spokesman Josh Gartner has spoken about the issue as well. He mentioned that the company will continue to challenge the unjust executive order that deprives a significant platform for both a voice and livelihood. I completely agree. TikTok isn’t just some app that the Chinese plan to take all our information from.  

Tiktok has provided a platform for entertainment, a way to make friends, grow businesses and support as well as encourage others. The app has created a community that comes together to celebrate differences, bond over trends and inform those around us about news. 

The highly–liked app has many reasons as to why it is a great platform, my favorite being that after a long day of school or before I go to bed, I have an app that I can scroll through and be entertained with just about every video I come across. It helps me to relax and gives me a long-lasting form of entertainment that other apps cannot always provide.  

The algorithm is specially made for you, hence the title of the page “For You.” The page gives you videos prone to your liking. The videos will make you laugh, cry or encourage you to start a project and others may encourage you to travel. There are endless possibilities of what can show up on your For You page, hence the addicting nature of the app.  

There are trends to follow and people to watch that cater to the things you enjoy. If the app has a For You page for every one of its 50 million daily active users and more, this is 50 million plus people that will no longer have an app that caters to their interests and entertains them.  

Trump’s ban is selfish. He claims it is for the safety of TikTok users in the U.S., however, he only mentioned a ban and became interested when gen z started making fun of him on the app. Selfishly acting, Trump’s main priority regarding TikTok is not the safety of Americans but the safety of his “reputation.” 

As of Sunday, Sept. 27, a federal judge partially granted TikTok’s request to not have their app taken off app-stores. The ruling blocks the ban on TikTok, ensuring the app’s safety for just a little while longer.  

TikTok is nothing more than an entertaining app with a platform for millions of people to express their interests, make jokes and inform. The ban should not take place and should be reconsidered.