The future of TikTok’s presence in the American social media marketplace is facing uncertainty, after an executive order was signed by President Donald Trump on Monday, Jan. 20.
Trump’s order, one of many signed by the president on Inauguration Day, issued a 75-day pause on the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (PAFACA), a law barring apps that are perceived as controlled by foreign adversaries from operating within the United States.
PAFACA applies to TikTok’s parent company ByteDance, which is based in China. The law will not apply to TikTok if ByteDance sells the short-form video app to another entity that isn’t connected to a perceived foreign adversary.
The TikTok app is currently unavailable on Google Play and Apple’s App Store. Users who already have the app on their smartphones can continue to use it until Friday, April 4, unless the app is sold. Users can also access TikTok through web browsers.
According to the text of the executive order, the 75-day pause on the application of PAFACA is meant to “pursue a resolution that protects national security while saving a platform used by 170 million Americans.”
Concerns about TikTok and national security have threatened the app since Trump’s previous presidency. In August of 2020, Trump sought to impose sanctions on the app, citing concerns over the possibility of ByteDance becoming pressured by the Chinese government to surrender American user data.
USNH Cybersecurity Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) Analyst Tomi Gibson said personally identifiable user data is often collected by social media apps.
“Pretty much every social media app collects vast amounts of user data that can be used to identify individuals. By law, the Chinese governments could access that data if ByteDance was to give up the data that TikTok collects,” said Gibson.
According to Gibson, apps have the ability to collect data from other apps.
“Nobody really reads the terms and conditions we agree to when we use an app or digital service. What many people don’t realize is that apps can access more sensitive data stored on other apps, and I think that’s where a lot of the concern comes from,” said Gibson.
Gibson encouraged anyone who is concerned about their digital privacy to familiarize themselves with privacy settings.
“The most important thing that users can do is thoroughly check the default setting on their device,” said Gibson.
Gibson said every device is different, and you should research the settings and options on yours.
“You also need to understand the inconveniences that will come with opting out of certain things and decide for yourself what you’re willing to give up,” added Gibson.
Keene State College has used TikTok for marketing purposes in the past.
Director of Marketing Sarah Kossayda said the college will continue to adapt its social media strategies, regardless of TikTok’s future.
“The social media landscape is constantly changing, and the college is constantly working to adapt our strategies to better communicate our message and meet the needs of our students. Even if TikTok is banned, that won’t change,” said Kossayda.
Junior Benjamin Harper said he’s in favor of the ban.
“I see TikTok as a good resource for certain things, but these apps can take up too much of people’s attention. There’s been a lot of studies pointing out how social media is rotting people’s brains and doing more harm than good,” said Harper.
Sophomore Miranda Andersen said she’s conflicted about the ban.
“TikTok is a big part of how I stay informed about what’s going on, but all these apps are constantly collecting our data,” said Andersen.
“I don’t see a difference between what TikTok is taking and what other apps are taking,” added Andersen.
This article has since been updated to use precise language in direct quotations of sources.
Ryan Pacheco can be contacted at
rpacheco@kscequinox.com
