the chaotic TikTok ban of 2025
A chaotic diary entry if only to remember everything that's happened so far.
I’m feeling gaslit by my government.
So I wanted to write down what I’ve seen happen so far. As a record of sorts. Something to point back on when those same governmental officials try to change the narrative. Something to make me feel less crazy when the story doesn’t add up later.
Now I may be a right brain thinking artist who doesn’t have a super strong grip on politics and how it all works. But I’m not an idiot and I have a pretty good intuition for when someone is screwing me over.
Here’s a short timeline of all the bullshit up to this point:
8/6/2020 - President Trump says TikTok is a threat and should be banned.
4/24/2024 - President Biden signed into law a $95 billion package to provide critical aid to Ukraine and enact a provision that could lead to a nationwide ban on TikTok. It passed the Senate with a 79-18 vote.
1/10/2025 - SCOTUS heard oral arguments about the TikTok ban and seemed likely to uphold it.
1/14/2025 - Ro Khanna and some other Senators introduce legislation to extend the TikTok ban deadline.
1/17/2024 - SCOTUS passes the TikTok ban with a 9-0 vote.
Here’s a much more lengthy timeline with everything that happened in between if you want to learn more.
My thoughts?
The fact that the TikTok ban was nestled in a humanitarian aid package is pretty messed up. Our government treats this legislation like a game and I’m sick of it.
The way senators swooped in to try to fix things on 1/14 when the ban was set for 1/19 feels pretty last minute and a little suspect.
The ban date being Sunday 1/19 before a controversial President is sworn in on Monday 1/20 is VERY suspect.
The fact that soooooo many of these Senators have stock in META, the social media company that stands to benefit the most from a TikTok ban, is SUPER SUPER SUSPECT. Smells like insider trading to me.
The fact that Trump introduced the idea of the ban and is now trying to act like the savior of the app is pretty freaking wild to me. But someone somewhere will fall for that lie and that’s why he’s doing it.
Now I want to narrate things as they happened for me. If only to remember the details should they be challenged later.
On Saturday 1/18 at 11pm, I’m watching a TikTok video from one of my favorite accounts (Shout out to Blake Silva!) that starts to glitch. First his profile picture disappears and then all the comments are gone. It was heart-wrenching to have it happen to someone who was one of my first follows on TikTok.
Eventually a little pop up comes on my screen saying:
Sorry TikTok isn’t available right now
A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately that means you can’t use TikTok for now.
We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office. Please stay tuned!
Our savior, President Trump! 🤢 Too bad it was his idea in the first place.
Now on Sunday 1/19, the pop-up message has changed. I find it super strange that any mention of Trump is gone:
Important update from TikTok
We regret that a U.S. law banning TikTok will take effect on January 19 and force us to make our services temporarily unavailable.
We’re working to restore our service to the U.S. as soon as possible, and we appreciate your support. Please stay tuned.
Even if the app comes back, I won’t trust it. All of this feels like a game they’re playing with us and I’m no longer interested in participating.
Only a few hours later on Sunday 1/19, people are reporting that TikTok is back with a lovely message welcoming us:
Welcome back!
Thanks for your patience and support. As a result of President Trump’s efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S.!
You can continue to create, share and discover all the things you love on TikTok.
Nah I’m good. Y’all are dramatic and I’m going to give you some time to settle down after that temper tantrum.
I joined TikTok if only to reserve my business handle. I didn’t use it much and would occasionally log on to watch some videos. Something about that algorithm is magic though and eventually I started growing a following list I was pretty attached to. From SwiftTok to PinTok to PoliticTok, I found creators who’s videos were always a comfort and started learning more about my government than I ever had before (I’m thinking this might be why there was a ban… . . …….)
Every weekend I was watching live streams of the Eras Tour and then my feed would fill with high quality recordings of all the best moments from the concert that next day. I felt connected to people who I never would have had a chance to interact with without TikTok and for that I will forever be grateful. I’ll never forget the night I stayed up until 2am to watch Taylor wear blue outfit after blue outfit on a shaky livestream only to announce 1989 (Taylor’s Version). It was a dream. Then I stayed up til 2am again to watch her last Surprise Song performance of the Eras Tour. I’ll forever remember hearing that combination of Long Live x New Years Day x The Manuscript on a TikTok live stream with tears streaming down my face.
Without TikTok I wouldn’t have any of those memories. I don’t know if I can go back to the app until I know it’s not been compromised. It’s bad enough Meta is already in Trump’s pocket. We don’t need another social media app that’s designed to keep us distracted and filter out all of the free speech I’m used to.
The back and forth drama of this ban has been utterly exhausting. So I’m going to finish off this post and take a break from it all. Let the chaos continue and when the dust settles I’ll take another look. For now I’m going to read and write on substack and take a little time to assess my relationship with social media.
When I say I’m creating through the chaos, this is what I mean. I’m just going to keep creating and build a little space on the internet that feels sacred. I could do with a little less chaos though 😅
