NATIONAL NEWS – No more Tik Tok: Federal appeals court upholds the ban of TikTok

Laila Kirkpatrick, Staff Writer

TikTok creators, including popular names like Charli D’Amelio and MrBeast, face uncertain futures following a federal appeals court’s decision to uphold the app’s ban. Whether they are gamers, dancers, or reaction streamers, many creators rely on TikTok to grow their brands. However, their careers could be in jeopardy if no U.S. company purchases the app from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance. The court argued that the ban was “essential to protect our national security.”

Critics of the TikTok ban claim it infringes on First Amendment rights by narrowly interpreting free speech protections. Students at prominent universities like Columbia University are organizing advocacy efforts to oppose the ban. Groups such as the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University argue that the ban is an attack on democracy and U.S. citizens’ freedoms.

A TikTok spokesperson announced that the company plans to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court. The spokesperson criticized the ban, calling it the result of “inaccurate, flawed, and hypothetical information” that amounts to censorship. With over 170 million American users, TikTok contends that the ban would unjustly silence millions and set a dangerous precedent for future social media bans.