In January 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order delaying the enforcement of the TikTok ban by 75 days, extending the deadline to early April. This extension provided TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, additional time to negotiate a deal with a U.S. buyer to address national security concerns.
The move to extend the TikTok ban to government devices feels more like a symbolic gesture than a meaningful solution. Government officials should be cautious about cybersecurity risks, but focusing so heavily on one app overlooks the systemic problem of weak data privacy protections across the board. If the goal is to protect Americans’ sensitive information, why hasn’t there been a larger effort to implement federal data privacy laws that apply to all platforms, regardless of their country of origin?
Let’s consider the concerns driving these restrictions. Critics of TikTok often highlight fears that user data location, browsing habits, and other personal information could be handed over to the Chinese government. It’s a valid concern, but it raises a broader question: Why is TikTok being singled out when virtually all social media platforms collect massive amounts of data? Facebook, Instagram, Google, and countless others engage in similar practices, often with fewer questions asked.
The extension underscores the ongoing debate about data privacy and national security. While the focus remains on TikTok’s Chinese ownership, it’s crucial to recognize that data privacy issues are pervasive across many platforms, regardless of their country of origin. Addressing these concerns requires comprehensive data privacy legislation that applies to all U.S. companies, not just single out individual apps.
If lawmakers are serious about protecting Americans from potential threats, the solution isn’t to target a single app it’s to create stronger, enforceable data privacy standards. Require transparency in how data is collected and stored. Limit the amount of data platforms can gather. Ensure users have more control over their personal information. These measures would address the root cause of privacy concerns rather than just the symptoms.
The ban also fails to address the platform’s cultural and economic significance. TikTok isn’t just a time-wasting app for teens; it’s a space where small businesses thrive, creators build careers, and underrepresented voices find an audience. For millions of users, TikTok is not just a platform but an essential part of their daily lives and livelihoods. Banning TikTok nationwide would disrupt its community without solving the broader privacy issues across all platforms.
As the new deadline approaches, it remains to be seen whether ByteDance will secure a deal that satisfies U.S. regulatory requirements. Regardless of TikTok’s fate, this situation highlights the need for broader discussions on data privacy and the importance of implementing robust protections for users across all platforms.
