# Ban TikTok? How would it be done? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 26, 2024, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ban-tiktok-how-would-it-be-done/1000802 "2024-04-26T20:14:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2025, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ban-tiktok-how-would-it-be-done/1000802/61 "2025-01-19T19:17:23Z")
It’s back online, “As the result of President Trump’s efforts…”, from a screen shot my daughter sent me. And it IS available again. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2025, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ban-tiktok-how-would-it-be-done/1000802/62 "2025-01-19T19:31:30Z")
It’s nonsense. There was no reason for them to shut down today. The Biden Administration had already announced they would take no action to enforce the ban. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2025, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ban-tiktok-how-would-it-be-done/1000802/63 "2025-01-19T19:52:27Z")
It was a good move if you’re TikTok though. They understand they can manipulate him by stroking his ego. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2025, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ban-tiktok-how-would-it-be-done/1000802/64 "2025-01-19T20:16:59Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > You blame TikTok, but _the Tide Pod Challenge came from inside the house_! _The Straight Dope thread’s discussion was more centered on children accidentally eating Tide_ _Pods, rather than the meme’s iteration popularized in 2017, which portrays pods as a delicious food.[[21]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumption_of_Tide_Pods#cite_note-Kircher2017-21)[[23]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumption_of_Tide_Pods#cite_note-Hathaway2018-23)_ Well, it is nice to see us in print. ---
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2025, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ban-tiktok-how-would-it-be-done/1000802/65 "2025-01-19T21:42:45Z")
Well, as long as Trump hadn’t announced what he would do, non-compliance for today would have been a risky move on TikTok’s part - they could have been fined for this non-compliance if the Trump administration decided to enforce the ban. Clearly, a fine for that one day of non-compliance would have been lawful. But now they know the Trump administration won’t go after them for the time being, so that risk is gone. ---
**Author:** ![carlb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carlb/32/5930_2.png) [@carlb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carlb)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2025, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ban-tiktok-how-would-it-be-done/1000802/66 "2025-01-19T22:24:08Z")
Again - Tik Tok didn’t have to do anything. They weren’t in any danger of being shut down. The dangers under the law are to: 1. App stores who still carry the Tik Tok app, and, 2. Any American company providing hosting for the app. If I were the General Counsel to Apple or Google, I would be advising taking the app out of the app stores. Same as if I were the GC for Oracle or whoever else might be providing servers. The potential fines are very large, and I would not be looking to run the risk of the government deciding they _would_ enforce the law. But this whole, “oh, the Biden Administration shut us down but President Trump made it right,” thing is just so much manufactured bullshit. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2025, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ban-tiktok-how-would-it-be-done/1000802/67 "2025-01-20T02:49:24Z")
Especially since they went back online quicker than Trump could possibly have actually done anything relevant. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2025, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ban-tiktok-how-would-it-be-done/1000802/68 "2025-01-20T17:13:53Z")
The fines only applied to app stores, ISPs and hosting services. It was well-established that once the ban went to effect, its impact would have been gradual, as a lack of app updates eventually made the app non-functional (and web traffic dwindled to those using VPNs). ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2025, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ban-tiktok-how-would-it-be-done/1000802/69 "2025-01-31T04:46:22Z")
14 hours, to be exact. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ban-tiktok-how-would-it-be-done/1000802.md?page=3)