004 - Oh...They Were Serious!?
So, who’s selling TikTik screen recordings?
TikTok is officially banned in the U.S. and millions of users are trying to process this new “TikTok-less” reality. WHAT?! I knew the ban would happen, but I was definitely in a bit of denial. There were so many videos I had saved—recipes I wanted to try, places I wanted to visit, brands I wanted to shop with, etc. And now… I can no longer access that content. When you open the app, you’re met with this message:
“Sorry, TikTok isn't available right now. A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately, that means you can't use TikTok for now. We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office. Please stay tuned!”
In my last post, I mentioned how I believe this whole ban is more than likely a political move. If Trump can un-ban the app and “save” TikTok, he’ll be placed on an even higher pedestal by many Americans. In my humble opinion, this all feels like a political gimmick.
I was completely shocked that this app was banned so quickly. Honestly, I say that because it was announced that TikTok would “voluntarily shut down” on January 19, 2025, but many users started losing access to the app around 7 PM PST today, which is the 18th. I’m not sure what I expected, but I for sure thought the app would start shutting down at midnight, at the very least.
If this app is truly banned forever, the absence of TikTok is going to take some getting used to. Many users, myself included, are subconsciously opening the app, only to be immediately met with that lovely reminder that TikTok isn’t available.
Not only was TikTok taken away, but the editing app CapCut has also stopped working for Americans since it’s owned by ByteDance as well—which is crazy. Millions of creators use CapCut to edit their content, not just for TikTok, but for Instagram, YouTube, and other platforms. With both of these apps banned, I’m curious to see how this will reshape the content creation space—not just how people create content, but also how consumers digest it.
This was a short AusThought today, but I just had to get this off my chest because this is insane, to say the least.
I’ll leave you with this question, though:
How are you feeling about TikTok being gone?
As always, I appreciate you tuning in to AusThoughts. To keep up with all things Aus, follow me on all platforms @austunreid.
All The Best,
Austun
