Let’s get straight to it: the government banning websites or apps is a big deal, and we’re not nearly angry enough about it. The criteria for such bans should be reserved for the most extreme cases of lawbreaking or human rights violations—not loosely defined “national security threats” from systems designed to serve ads and profit off engagement. TikTok isn’t infiltrating our military or stealing national security secrets; it’s doing the same thing Facebook and X are doing. Ban government workers from using it, sure, but the average joe isn’t putting our national security at risk using TikTok.
Sure, TikTok is under fire because it’s owned by China, but let’s not pretend platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or X (formerly Twitter) aren’t just as guilty of tracking us like we’re extras in a dystopian Netflix series. So why the outrage over TikTok and not the others? Spoiler: because they’re not Chinese. Another spoiler: it’s all about geopolitics. We hate China because they’re not “free,” yet our response is to make ourselves less free by doing exactly what China does—censoring the internet for its citizens.
The First Amendment Doesn’t Play Favorites
The First Amendment doesn’t come with a clause that says, “Unless it’s a trendy app from a country we don’t like or are worried about.” When the government decides what apps or websites are safe for us, it’s not protecting us—it’s tiptoeing into censorship territory. TikTok today, Wikipedia tomorrow. Laugh now, but imagine Googling “What happened to Napoleon?” and getting a big fat 404 because someone thought crowd-sourced history was too dangerous. I’m not kidding, I’ve seen certain political persuasions who happen to run the whole government now spew a lot of hate toward Wikipedia. Likely because it hosts pesky factual information they don’t like.
TikTok vs. The Usual Suspects
Let’s not kid ourselves: TikTok isn’t doing anything revolutionary with your data. Your favorite American-owned platforms already have that locked down. Facebook knows you better than your mom, and X probably has receipts on your 3 a.m. doomscrolling habits. The difference? TikTok’s parent company is based in Beijing, and apparently, that makes all the difference. Because national security.
It’s wild how we’re fine with homegrown tech giants harvesting our lives for ad dollars but start clutching pearls when it’s China doing the same thing. If this was really about privacy, we’d be banning half the internet, not just the app with dance challenges. If it was about meddling in our elections or political discourse, you have to look far beyond TikTok to all the other places that is happening in the worst way. But when special counsels investigate that and release facts to inform the public on how to navigate that situation, you have political leaders swoop in and dismiss the whole thing with a one page memo and the country movies on. Great job, media, letting the Mueller Report get swept under the rug but letting this TikTok distraction go on.
Who’s Next?
Don’t think it stops at TikTok. Once the government gets a taste of the “ban hammer,” they’re going to start swinging it like a gamer on a power trip. Wikipedia? Too much unregulated information. Reddit? Too many memes. You think they won’t? The slippery slope is real, and it’s greased with excuses like “protecting democracy.”
Let’s Be Consistently Mad
The worst part is how selectively angry we are. TikTok gets dragged for its data practices, while Facebook doesn’t even get a slap on the wrist and a Congressional hearing that’s basically a tech tutorial for confused old congresspeople. If we’re going to be mad about privacy invasions or free speech violations, let’s at least be consistent about it.
Final Thoughts (Before This Gets Banned Too)
The internet is one of the last places where ideas, bad takes, and yes, embarrassing dance trends can thrive. Letting the government ban apps because they might be problematic isn’t just overreach—it’s a preview of a very boring, very censored future.
We should be far angrier about this. But let’s face it—it’s probably already too late. The corrupt individuals this country just handed power to are so busy lining their pockets that we can only hope they’re too distracted to strip away even more of our rights. Sadly, I’m not sure I even have that sliver of optimism. People dismiss this as doomsday thinking or catastrophizing, oblivious to how real these threats have become. It’s like we’ve been lulled into believing nothing truly bad could ever happen here, so anyone raising alarms must be overreacting and parroting delusions from sensationalized news. There’s absolutely some of that, but please pay attention because sadly it is definitely not all that.
