By Madison Canez, Staff Writer
When TikTok went dark on Jan.18, addicts of the app panicked, including some at Newman University. Though it was back up and running within 12 hours, some students and staff report being filled with sadness and frustration that TikTok was gone forever — or so they thought.
Newman and the rest of the TikTok public may have to face the reality of the ban again. An executive order from President Donald Trump signed on Jan. 20 gave TikTok a 75-day extension. But if the app’s owners don’t comply with the government’s demands by April 5, TikTok may disappear in the United States again, possibly for good.
One of Newman’s softball graduate assistants said that she took the ban to heart and was saddened by it. MacKenzie Anderson, 25, said she often goes live on TikTok and creates a small revenue.
She thought that the ban was not going to happen until she got the notification when trying to go live on Jan. 18. “It was time to make my final thirst trap,” she said. Her small yet growing fan base was important to her and a part of her everyday life, she said, and not being able to interact and engage with them was truly hard.
On the other end of the spectrum was University Relations’ Jack Schafer, who runs Newman’s TikTok alongside Amy Brooks. He said he was not really affected by the ban.
“A big portion of Newman’s engagement comes through Instagram and Facebook, so we knew we would be okay,” he said.
The ban took place because of a bill that was approved by Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden. It was known as the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act.
Officials said that the reason for the ban was national security concerns. Legislators were concerned that ByteDance, a Chinese internet technology company that owns TikTok, may leak U.S. user data to the Chinese government.
Although the app quickly returned, if Byte Dance does not sell the platform by the deadline, TikTok will be banned again in the United States.
Senior Lauren Kwak said she’s not so sure the app actually will go away. She’s starting to feel like it’s all a bluff and that those in charge want to keep America guessing, she said
“I feel like it is going to be extended again in April,” Kwak said. “I won't believe it’s truly banned until it actually happens and lasts for more than the previous ban of 12 hours”.
PHOTO: Courtesy, Getty Images
