The Real Reason Our Government Wants to Ban TikTok
Nour Jaghama and Megan Russell
The U.S. was in a frenzy over the impending TikTok ban, but the 12-hour shutdown was anticlimactic, to say the least. Many wouldn't have known the app was gone without the pop-up message thanking President Trump on TikTok the morning after the supposed "ban." TikTok is back due to an executive order Trump signed on Jan 20 delaying the ban for 75 days to "determine the appropriate course forward in an orderly way that protects national security." The plan? Selling part of TikTok to an American parent company so they'll have control over its internal operations.
The problem is that U.S. TikTok users allege the platform feels different now, claiming TikTok now censors political content, particularly advocacy for Gazans. The U.S. government's proposed solution is to sell at least half of TikTok to an American company, but with Trump's track record of repression and TikTok's alleged censorship since returning, will saving the platform come at the expense of the freedom of expression that made us love TikTok in the first place?
Congress initially told us that TikTok was a security threat because they claimed China stole our data for nefarious purposes. But this was all a cover to hide the true reason they wanted to ban TikTok: to sell the platform to an American company, censor pro-Palestine activism, and silence the many voices working towards liberation. In TikTok's removal of Palestine activism since Jan 20, it's clear that app executives are already censoring content to win the favor of the political elite and avoid a potential ban altogether.
In an unpredictable twist of fate, the TikTok ban sent Americans flooding toward the Chinese social media app RedNote, putting into motion an incredible display of cross-cultural communication. Through open discussions with local Chinese citizens, Americans realized that everything the government has taught them about China is wrong. Naturally, the TikTok ban didn't last very long after that.
Congress justified the TikTok ban by claiming it was necessary because they were protecting us from China stealing our data and spying on us, but with representatives like Buddy Carter calling TikTok "a haven for pro-Hamas propaganda and antisemitism," it's clear this is about repressing the anti-Israel sentiment that arose among Americans as everyone witnessed Israel's genocide in Gaza. But it goes even deeper than that.
Mike Gallager and Raja Krishnamoorthi, two Congressmen who co-authored a law to ban TikTok, received $183,553 from the pro-Israel lobby in the 2023-2024 election cycle alone. At the same time, Israel just expanded its "hasbara" (propaganda) budget twentyfold, adding $150 million to "primarily target American college campuses, social media platforms, and the international press." It is evident this was never about China and always about censoring pro-Palestine content. As Trump calls to "clear out Gaza" and lifts the hold on a shipment of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel, the need to protect our ability to share information freely has never been more urgent.
Social media censorship isn't new, and it's something President Trump's billionaire friends know all too well. Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg were notably present at Trump's inauguration, their displays of elite camaraderie and Nazi zeal disgusting the nation. After Musk's $44 billion takeover of X, he changed the algorithm of the platform to force far-right propaganda on millions of people, including his own deranged tweets that nobody wants to see. Additionally, fact-checking had been put on the back burner ahead of Trump's election when Musk cited that upholding the truth counted as "election interference."
As we face the possibility of further media censorship, Trump and his tech oligarchy bros are hatching plans to invest $500 billion toward an AI project called Stargate. They claim they're going to use the program to cure cancer, but the only thing that has ever funded innovation in our country is the defense industry. The possibility of AI technology being used for autonomous warfare and mass surveillance is very real and very likely — especially as the potential $500 billion investment will primarily be used to build data centers. Luckily, Chinese company Deepseek just released a highly advanced and inexpensive open-source AI program for all to use, plunging the valuation of the AI industry downward and making it more accessible for all, challenging U.S. domination over tech.
The changes in TikTok's content moderation raise significant concerns about the platform's commitment to free expression. It is not a leap to see that allegations of censorship, mainly targeting political content related to Gaza and Palestine, only started to happen when the U.S. government got involved. The U.S. government's proposed solution to sell TikTok to an American company may further compromise its original spirit, turning it into a tool for control rather than a space for open dialogue.
For now, we face the very real possibility that the last of our social media platforms will be sold off and censored more than ever before. TikTok, where the majority of Gen Z gets their news, can influence future generations' thoughts and beliefs. We need to protect free speech from the small, greedy, genocidal hands of the political elite who want to censor truth and shape our thoughts to suit their interests. And we need to stop the government from weaponizing hatred against China to push these terrible policies.
Tell TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew, and ByteDance Executives: Don’t Sell Out!
Nour Jaghama is CODEPINK's Palestine and Iran Campaigner. Nour graduated from DePaul University with a bachelor’s degree in International Studies in June 2022. She has been advocating for Palestinian liberation for over 5 years, including organizing within her university. She also organizes around related issues, such as abolition.
Megan Russell is CODEPINK's China is Not Our Enemy Campaign Coordinator.She graduated from the London School of Economics with a Master’s Degree in Conflict Studies. Prior to that, she attended NYU where she studied Conflict, Culture, and International Law. Megan spent one year studying in Shanghai, and over eight years studying Chinese Mandarin. Her research focuses on the intersection between US-China affairs, peace-building, and international development.
Every accusation is a confession from the axis of genocide- “The U.S. government's proposed solution to sell TikTok to an American company may further compromise its original spirit, turning it into a tool for control rather than a space for open dialogue.”