The app, formerly known as musical.ly, is claimed to be a threat to national and individual security, and could possibly be banned by executive order in the coming months. In August, Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts formally banned TikTok from being used on state devices. The wide demographic of TikTok has continued to boost the popularity, but the app’s numbers may be severely hindered depending on the government’s plans. 

     The main concern regarding the app is user privacy. TikTok collects data from their users like most social media apps. Location data and internet access are just some of the things that the app takes into account. 

     It must be noted that these are common features that media apps obtain. What sets TikTok apart from other apps is the fact that it’s owned by ByteDance, a technology company based in China. United States relations with China have been at a standstill due to trade and Covid-19. So, the fact that TikTok’s future is questionable comes as no surprise. 

     Early in August, President Trump signed an executive order that would ban all association with ByteDance in 45 days. Therefore, the order would ban TikTok if it does not get sold to another company. This comes from Trump as he has been persistent since the summer about banning the Chinese-owned app. 

     TikTok representatives have consistently said that although the app does use information from its users, the information is stored in the U.S. in hopes that this would ease tensions. In fact, the social media app has had a very positive outlook. Over the summer, they announced a creator fund which would provide over $2 billion dollars to creators in order to compete with social media rivals such as Instagram and YouTube. This is quite a brute contrast to the uncertain future TikTok faces. 

     Just this week, Oracle, an American technology corporation, struck a deal with the social media app to become a trusted partner. This came as a shock as there were talks about Microsoft buying TikTok. Last week, Microsoft mentioned in a statement that they pulled out of the running to obtain the app, and their bid was rejected. Although the app did not get bought out, Oracle’s presence is a major step in the right direction.

     This developing deal is hoping to satisfy the Trump administration regarding security threats. The American technology company will specifically take over U.S. user data. Since the information will be in different hands, it is anticipated that these measures will satisfy the federal government. The deal struck by Oracle and TikTok has not officially been approved; nonetheless, the negotiations give a more hopeful future for the social media app to remain in the United States. 

    On Friday, despite the Oracle partnership, the White House announced that TikTok would be removed from the app store by Sunday. This came as quite a surprise given that Oracle would be dealing with user data in the United States. One day later, Trump said the social media app’s deal has his blessing. Even though TikTok’s future isn’t set in stone, the progress that has been made is sure to make the app a safer environment.

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