Second, however, TikTok does present a danger. But it’s the same danger all the social media platforms present: they collect large amounts of personal data from users, including teens. (Some call TikTok's collection excessive.) But this is a story we’ve heard over and over.  They monetize invasive information for advertisers, no matter the danger.

TikTok isn’t the villain here. It’s a symptom of a much larger issue: the lack of clear, enforceable rules for data privacy and security. Instead of banning the app, the government should focus on fixing the system.

The app had more than 170 million monthly users in the U.S. The black-out is the result of a law forcing the service offline unless it sheds its ties to ByteDance, its China-based parent company.

TikTok will become impossible to access via an American internet connection. It probably will remain possible to access from an American location, though. The rub is a virtual private network, which sets up an encrypted tunnel for internet browsing and can run it through practically any country.

The announcement comes shortly after Trump said he will issue an executive order that would give the app's parent company more time to find a buyer.

TikTok has returned to American app stores and resumed its service in the US after temporarily going off on Saturday amidst an expected federal ban.

President-elect Donald Trump says he plans to issue an executive order that would give TikTok’s China-based parent company more time to find an approved buyer before the popular video-sharing platform is subject to a permanent ban in the US.

As TikTok users flock to RedNote, there are several considerations, including the privacy of your data. Here’s what you need to know.

President-elect Donald Trump said Sunday that he plans to issue an executive order that would give TikTok’s China-based parent company more time to find an approved buyer before the popular video-sharing platform is subject to a permanent U.

This illustration photo taken in Los Angeles on January 18, 2025, shows the TikTok app on a smartphone screen in front of the TikTok logo. TikTok disconnected access to its users in the United States late January 18 after no action was taken shortly before a national ban was to take effect.