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Click Here: The TikTok Ban, China, And National Security

In this photo illustration, the TikTok logo and flag of the United States are seen on screens in Hong Kong, Chin
Anthony Kwan
/
Getty Images
In this photo illustration, the TikTok logo and flag of the United States are seen on screens in Hong Kong, Chin

The story of TikTok in the U.S. is one that's had many chapters, to say the least.

First, then-President Donald Trump called for its ban in 2020. Then, President Joe Biden signed a bipartisan law in 2024 requiring the company in charge of the video-sharing platform to sell the app or face a ban. Then, the app went dark this January after failing to sell, only to come back hours later, thanking newly-inaugurated President Donald Trump for his support in keeping the app operational. The president extended the deadline for the sale until April.

This saga raises several questions. First, why is the government so uncomfortable with TikTok and Chinese parent company ByteDance? Some of the answer lies in its relationship with the Chinese Communist Party, which is famous for its surveillance and censorship.

Second, what's going to happen in April when the same deadline to sell arises once again? For answers, we turn to our friends at the Click Here podcast. What does the future hold for TikTok?

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