Reflecting on TikTok’s Function in Society as New Ban Deadline Approaches

On Jan. 18, I used to be one in all hundreds of thousands of People scrolling by TikTok when service for the all-you-can-binge video buffet instantly halted simply earlier than a federal authorities ban went into impact.

It was a wide ranging second that had me in mourning. The place will I’m going now, I puzzled, for my every day dose of Hollywood gossip, online game information and anime updates?

TikTok, which is owned by a Chinese language firm, ByteDance, and had run up in opposition to a authorized deadline to discover a U.S. proprietor or face a ban, got here again to life the following day. President Trump then rapidly signed an govt order extending the window for TikTok’s sale to April 5.

With that new deadline quick approaching, the destiny of TikTok, which claims greater than 170 million American customers, stays unsure. However at the very least for now, a repeat of January’s blackout seems unlikely.

Final month, Mr. Trump informed reporters that he might lengthen the deadline once more. And whereas ByteDance hasn’t confirmed any plans to promote, Oracle, the info middle firm, and others have emerged as potential suitors.

The most recent deadline affords an opportune second to mirror on the app’s function in society. Right here’s what I discovered.