On August 6, President Donald Trump signed an executive order banning the widely known app called TikTok. Towards the beginning of July, the President stated that he was considering prohibiting the use of the app in the United States. The ban is said to be in effect starting on November 12. However, TikTok is taking legal actions against the ban to keep those who use it at ease. 

With 800 million users on TikTok, 100 million reside in the U.S. Many people are upset at the possible ban along with other applications that Trump is pushing to restrict, claiming that the companies that produce the app are stealing personal data from their users. This does not stop some TikTokers from being upset about his decision to ban it. 

Sophomore Diamond Carrasquillo has expressed her feelings about the current situation. Carrasquillo has had the app for approximately two years and currently uses it. She stated that she wasn’t going to get it originally, but after seeing how popular it became, she wanted to see for herself. “It’s basically a part of my daily life. Honestly, I’m pretty sad about it; it’s one thing that gives me something to do everyday when I’m bored.” She spends hours on the app and enjoys seeing people having fun and being themselves through fifteen second videos. When asked how the restriction may affect her daily life she answered, “I might become bored at times, but I can eventually find something to replace it.” 

In addition to students being affected by the possible banning of TikTok, there is a risk of small businesses and popular creators losing their income. Due to the TikTok Creator Fund, certain people are making a living through the app. Furthermore, since the app is popular, small businesses are getting more exposure. This will eventually lead to users needing to find new jobs or new ways to improve their revenue in replacement of a livelihood on TikTok. 

Secondly, multiple trends have emerged from TikTok and have given users a chance to express themselves. Zachery Roz, a freshman, has participated in some of these trends, both in dancing and comedy. Roz has been on TikTok for more than a year and a half. He said he felt anxious about TikTok getting banned because he’s on the app every single day, it’s his main source of entertainment and community. He said, “It’s the beauty of having such a diverse assortment of ideas on one platforms.” He explained how the ban would affect his life for a short amount of time, but he would soon adjust to the changes. 

Amy Lewis, a sophomore, claimed to have TikTok since it was originally the app Musical.ly before the two apps got merged on August 2nd, 2018. She stated that unlike the popular app VINE that got taken down, TikTok has a large enough platform that it won’t be going away without a fight. Since having the app, Lewis has gained new interests and hobbies. She concluded that the ban would “affect [her] life pretty badly, because [she’ll] be bored and it just hits differently than Instagram.”  

Overall, the uncertainty of TikTok getting banned leaves most of the TikTok community uneasy, but many feel confident that TikTok is doing their best to prevent the Trump Administration from restricting the app.