The TikTok Saga

The TikTok story is coming to a head this weekend (maybe), and though we rarely dip or toe into the political landscape - this is just getting too funny not to comment on.

People are losing their minds on every angle - and we feel really bad for those who have carved out a hard-earned social media foothold on the platform. Clearly, I don't feel bad enough not to make a little fun of a meme -- but it's hard to get followers. But that said, things just aren't adding up. Every player and politician wants to ban and not ban TikTok simultaneously. Take a look at this timeline I cobbled together. I would love to hear what other geeks are thinking. Should it be banned? Will it be banned? Who benefits? Do you care? Should TikTok rename itself as PingPong to reflect the American political climate?




August 6, 2020: President Donald Trump signs an executive order to ban TikTok in the U.S. unless ByteDance divests its U.S. operations within 45 days.
September 2020: The Trump administration announces plans to block TikTok downloads in the U.S.
June 9, 2021: President Joe Biden revokes Trump’s executive orders targeting TikTo
December 2022: Congress passes the "No TikTok on Government Devices Act," banning the app from federal government devices.
March 2024: Former President Donald Trump opposes such a ban, expressing concerns that it would benefit competitors like Facebook.
April 2024: Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act in April 2024, which mandates that TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, divest its U.S. operations by January 19, 2025, or face a ban was signed into law by President Biden.
December 2024:The Biden administration urges the Supreme Court to uphold a federal law requiring TikTok to be banned in the U.S. unless ByteDance divests its U.S. operations. The administration argues that TikTok poses significant national security risks.
December 2024: Trump requested the Supreme Court to delay the impending TikTok ban, aiming to resolve the matter through political means once he assumed office.
January 10, 2025:The Supreme Court hears arguments on the TikTok ban. Key issues include national security concerns and potential First Amendment violations.
January 16, 2025: a U.S. official announced that President Joe Biden would not enforce the impending TikTok ban
January 17, 2025:The Supreme Court rules in favor of enforcing the TikTok ban, stating that the app can be removed from U.S. markets unless ByteDance complies with divestment orders.
January 19, 2025: The TikTok ban goes into effect. Users in the U.S. lose access to the app unless a last-minute agreement is reached.
January 20, 2025: Shou Zi Chew, the CEO of TikTok, is set to attend President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration and to sit in a position of honor on the dais.