Tiktok… tick, tock… time might be up for the viral social media app that’s gained over one billion users in the past six years. With fears of the Chinese government releasing private user data, President Biden has signed a law giving Bytedance, the Chinese company that owns Tiktok, one year to disband from the company. However, things aren’t looking good for the well-loved app. As soon as Jan.19, Tiktok could be banned from the United States entirely, letting down 170 million of its users. But with President-elect Donald Trump taking office and repeated appeals to save the app, the decision remains in the air.

   The ethics of Tiktok have been debated about for some time. With numerous threats to ban the app and weeks worth of controversies, this is nothing new to former users. Tiktok has already been banned from many U.S colleges, and even in the state of Montana altogether. But a nationwide ban on this level has never been attempted before. Some Tiktok users are tired of the constant tug-of-war the U.S government seems to be playing, stating “I feel like I’ve been seeing a ‘Tiktok will be banned next week’ for the past four years.” Others are upset about the lost opportunities a ban can create, arguing “there is plenty of quality and educational content on there made by hard working professionals that enjoy educating and entertaining.”

    Will Tiktok really be banned? With the way things are going, it’s definitely possible. But with the strong push from users and President-elect Donald Trump, a compromise could be made regarding Bytedance and the app itself.