Walk into any small business in middle America right now and you’ll likely see someone propping a phone against a coffee canister. They aren't just scrolling. They're filming. They are selling handmade ceramics to people in Oregon or explaining tax law to a kid in Florida. For millions, this app is the economy. That’s why the conversation around whether TikTok should not be banned in the United States is so much more than just a debate about teenagers dancing or "brain rot" content. It’s a debate about the First Amendment, digital infrastructure, and a massive shift in how information moves.
Washington is worried. I get it. The concerns about ByteDance and its relationship with the Chinese government aren’t coming from nowhere. But a total ban? That’s a sledgehammer approach to a problem that requires a scalpel. Honestly, if we’re talking about data privacy, TikTok is just one symptom of a much larger, much uglier disease that affects every single app on your home screen.
The First Amendment Problem Everyone Is Ignoring
Free speech isn't just about what you say; it's about the medium you use to say it. When the government tells 170 million Americans they can no longer use a specific tool for expression, we’ve crossed a very blurry line into dangerous territory.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has been screaming this from the rooftops. They argue that a ban would set a "devastating precedent" for government censorship. Think about it. If the U.S. can ban a platform because of who owns it, what stops a future administration from banning a news outlet or a social platform because they don't like its editorial direction? It’s a slippery slope. A steep one.
Courts have already stepped in before. Remember when Montana tried to pass its own ban? U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy put a stop to that pretty quickly, noting that the state overstepped its powers and violated the First Amendment. The legal reality is that TikTok should not be banned in the United States because the government hasn't yet proven that the "national security threat" outweighs the constitutional right of citizens to communicate. National security is a heavy phrase. It shouldn't be a "get out of jail free" card for restricting speech.
Real Talk About Data Privacy
People act like TikTok is the only app collecting your data. That’s wild. Meta does it. Google does it. Data brokers you’ve never heard of are buying and selling your location history right now.
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If we actually cared about privacy, we’d have a federal data privacy law. We don’t. Instead, we’re hyper-focusing on one app because of its "made in China" label. If TikTok disappears tomorrow, your data is still being vacuumed up by dozens of other entities. The "Project Texas" initiative—which TikTok spent over $1.5 billion on to move U.S. user data to Oracle servers on U.S. soil—was a genuine attempt at a middle ground. Why aren't we talking about that more? It’s a massive infrastructure project designed specifically to address the "backdoor" fears everyone keeps mentioning.
The Small Business Apocalypse
Let's talk money. Not Silicon Valley money, but "I can finally pay my mortgage" money.
TikTok recently released data showing that the platform contributed $24 billion to the U.S. economy in 2023 alone. That’s not a typo. Over 7 million small businesses rely on the platform to reach customers they could never afford to target via traditional TV ads or even Facebook's increasingly expensive ad manager.
- The "TikTok Made Me Buy It" Phenomenon: It’s a real thing. It’s a discovery engine.
- Lower Barriers to Entry: You don’t need a $10,000 production budget. You need a ring light and a personality.
- The Creator Economy: Thousands of full-time jobs exist solely because of this ecosystem.
I spoke to a vintage rug seller in Ohio last month. She told me 80% of her sales come from TikTok Live. If the app goes dark, her business likely dies. To her, the "national security" debate feels incredibly abstract compared to the very real threat of losing her livelihood. When we say TikTok should not be banned in the United States, we are defending the economic survival of people who have been ignored by traditional retail models.
Is It Really About Security or Competition?
There’s a cynical view here that’s hard to ignore. TikTok is eating Silicon Valley’s lunch. Facebook and Instagram have been trying to clone TikTok’s success for years with Reels, but they can't quite capture the same "magic" of the algorithm.
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Is it possible that some of the political pressure is coming from domestic tech giants who would love to see their biggest competitor erased by a government mandate? It’s a valid question. Protectionism often hides behind the veil of national security. If we ban TikTok, we aren't making the internet safer; we're just making it more profitable for a few guys in Menlo Park and Mountain View.
The Algorithm Misconception
Everyone talks about the algorithm like it’s a mind-control device. "It’s polarizing people!" Well, yeah. Every algorithm does that. YouTube’s recommendation engine has been criticized for years for leading people down radicalization pipelines. Twitter (X) isn't exactly a peaceful meadow of rational discourse.
TikTok’s algorithm is just very good at what it does: showing you what you want to see. For some, that’s educational content, cooking tips, or "BookTok" recommendations. For others, sure, it's garbage. But blaming the tool for the content is like blaming the printing press for a bad book.
The idea that the Chinese government is using the For You Page to influence American elections is a scary thought, but where is the smoking gun? Researchers at the Texas Tech University and other institutions have looked into this, and while there are "theoretical risks," the actual evidence of mass-scale manipulation is thin compared to the proven foreign interference we saw on Facebook in 2016.
Why Divestiture Is Easier Said Than Done
The "sell it or ban it" ultimatum sounds simple. It’s not.
The Chinese government has explicitly stated they would oppose a forced sale, particularly regarding the export of the recommendation algorithm. Without the algorithm, TikTok is just a hollow shell. It’s like buying a Ferrari without the engine. No American buyer is going to drop $100 billion on an app that loses its primary value proposition on day one.
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What We Should Do Instead
Instead of a ban, we need a standard.
We need a comprehensive federal privacy law that applies to everyone. If the government is worried about foreign influence, we should be mandating transparency in algorithms across all platforms. We should be strengthening our own cybersecurity infrastructure rather than playing Whac-A-Mole with individual apps.
A ban is a lazy solution. It ignores the complexity of the global digital economy. It ignores the rights of 170 million users. And honestly, it ignores the fact that a ban won't even work. Kids will use VPNs. The content will migrate. The underlying issues—data harvesting and algorithmic bubbles—will remain exactly where they are.
Moving Toward a Real Solution
If you’re worried about TikTok, the answer isn’t to delete it from the app store and hope for the best. The answer is to demand better from our legislators regarding all tech companies.
- Support Federal Privacy Legislation: Push for laws that limit what any company can do with your biometric and location data. This removes the "China threat" by making the data collection illegal for everyone.
- Demand Algorithmic Transparency: We should know why we are being shown certain videos. This shouldn't be a trade secret; it's a matter of public interest.
- Invest in Media Literacy: The best defense against "foreign influence" is an educated public that knows how to spot misinformation, regardless of which app it’s on.
- Audit the "Project Texas" Data: Instead of dismissing it, let’s have independent third-party firms verify that U.S. data is truly siloed and safe.
The reality is that TikTok should not be banned in the United States because the cost—to our economy, our culture, and our constitutional rights—is simply too high. We can solve the security concerns without burning down the digital town square. It just takes more work than signing a ban.
Actionable Insights for Users and Business Owners:
- Diversify your platform presence: If you’re a creator, don’t keep all your eggs in one basket. Build an email list or a secondary presence on YouTube Shorts or Instagram.
- Use a VPN and Privacy Settings: Regardless of the ban status, take control of your own data by limiting app permissions in your phone's settings.
- Engage with your representatives: Let them know that you prefer comprehensive privacy laws over targeted app bans.
The clock is ticking on the legal battles, but the conversation is far from over. Keeping the platform alive isn't just about entertainment; it's about maintaining a free and open internet where the government doesn't get to decide which apps are "safe" based on political optics.