As the US presidential elections get closer and closer, Trump announces the possibility of a ban on an app that he claims to pose a risk on national US security: the Chinese music and dance app TikTok. Young TikTok users claim it is related to the virtual war the US president has with the Chinese government and a way for them to monitor young Americans’ cellphone use. 

TikTok is an app that people of all ages have taken to, posting music, dance trends, singing, cooking, prank videos, etc. While Trump believes that the app is dangerous in its current form, owned by the Chinese company ByteDanceLtd. and based in Beijing, he is open to Microsoft or any US company buying the app with the approval of the United States. That would dissipate the idea of a ban of the app in the US. 

Some believe the whole idea behind the ban is nonsensical. “Now, I am not saying that is a total impossibility, but Trump wanting to ban TikTok has nothing to do with security. It is simply another blow he can trade with China in the U.S.-China trade war,” said avid TikTok user George Frey. 

GenZ-ers are not surprised by the idea of the ban; it is a predictable move on not just Trump’s end, but the US government as well. It has, for years, prioritized continuing the United States empire than the actual freedom and rights of its everyday citizens. They have come to the conclusion that the ban is just a tool trump is using to limit and restrict the freedom of young Americans. 

Previously, American GenZ TikTok users conducted a prank on the president at his rally earlier this year in Tulsa, OK. The campaign promised a huge turnout, only to be surprised by the extremely low attendance. The TikTok teens and K-pop stans planned to register for tickets only to not attend. Young Americans suspect that this event might have been a catalyst for restricting young people’s free will. 

Despite the claims of a ban on the app, the US general manager of the app, Vanessa Pappas assures users that the app will stay available. “We’re not planning on going anywhere … and when it comes to safety and security we are building the safest app because we know it’s the right thing to do,” said Pappas.