In the afternoon of Jan. 18, 2025, the popular social media app TikTok was shut down in the United States ahead of its official ban on Jan. 19. The ban is due to TikTok’s parent company, Bytedance, being partially controlled by the Chinese Communist Party, and concerns related to the recording and storing of user data threatening national security.
On Jan. 19, Then President-elect Trump said on Truth Social, “I will issue an executive order on Monday to extend the period of time before the law’s prohibitions take effect, so that we can make a deal to protect our national security.”
Following Trump’s post, TikTok was restored to users in the U.S. In a statement, TikTok said, “as a result of president Trump’s efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S”.
Michigan Tech has its own TikTok account with roughly 4,000 followers. That is about 57 percent of the student population at Michigan Tech. Haley Goodreau, director of social media at Michigan Tech, recommends that students go to other Michigan Tech social media pages such as Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube shorts to access content from the university.
As of writing, it is unclear whether or not this ban will be reinstated if Bytedance is unable or unwilling to sell TikTok to a non-Chinese-owned company, but for the time being, the app has been restored.
This is an ongoing story and will be updated on mtulode.com.
