TikTok ban distracts from America’s more important issues

Graphic credit // Joel Wainberg

The TikTok ban flooded news headlines and social media feeds in the days leading up to it. While cybersecurity concerns are valid, the back-and-forth over TikTok distracts Americans from more urgent matters, such as the California fires and mass deportations. 

Donald Trump first proposed the ban in 2020, citing security risks associated with China having access to Americans’ data via TikTok. In April 2024, the controversial ban was signed into law by then-President Joe Biden. On the night of Jan. 18, 2025, people opened the app to a message saying the app was not working in the U.S. 

The message also shared that TikTok was hopeful that Trump would help resolve the issue, reading, “We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office.”

The app was revived on Jan. 19 after a message was put out by Trump on his Truth Social platform, providing TikTok with the clarity they needed to get the app running again, TikTok said in a statement on X. 

It’s frustrating to watch as Trump swoops in to “save” TikTok from a ban that was his idea in the first place. Many people have speculated that Trump “saving” TikTok was a stunt to garner support from younger generations, sparking debate over his true motives. 

After seeing all of the energy and discussion that went into the ban, it’s hard to not wonder why the same effort isn’t spent addressing the hundreds of other issues facing our country today. 

“I feel as if the government has more important things to focus on instead of our data being used by China,” said freshman broadcast journalism major Valentina Carbonell. 

In the weeks before a typical inauguration, things like healthcare, immigration and the economy are often at the forefront of discussion, but this time they were put on the back burner as many Americans hyper-focused on the threat of losing their primary form of entertainment. 

I’ve seen countless people call on Elon Musk, the multibillionaire who owns X, to buy TikTok. As a 501(c)(3) owner, Musk is required by the International Revenue Service to donate at least 5% of his Musk Foundation revenue to charitable purposes every year. The New York Times reports that he has not met this 5% donation threshold in the last three years. I think more people should be focused on getting Musk to donate his IRS required money before they beg him to acquire a second social media platform. 

Instead of being spent on TikTok, these hundreds of millions of dollars could be going to resources to help the homeless and the food insecure in America, or other more important issues that call for financial support.

While the world is literally on fire and countless immigrant families anxiously await the unforeseen consequences of Trump’s new immigration policies, these issues are slipping through the cracks as we put our focus on the TikTok ban.  

Do not be fooled or distracted by PR campaigns. Billionaires and politicians like Musk and Trump are not heroes.