The year has just started, and we already have a huge social media scandal. The TikTok ban in the US has generated and continues to generate a flood of memes and serious debates, as well.

Our social media team handled the memes. Now it’s time for the Techtio digital marketing team to analyze the US TikTok ban from a serious point of view. We believe that it is important to talk about the not-so-funny aspects of what has happened during the last week.

First, let us explain in detail what happened.

TikTok Ban Timeline

Surprisingly, the first attempt to ban TikTok in the US came in 2020, during the first mandate of President Donald Trump. No action was taken at that time. However, three years later, in February 2023, President Joe Biden banned the app from federal devices.

In March 2024, the US House of Representatives passed a bill banning TikTok. Despite a lawsuit by TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, a federal court upheld the ban in a decision issued on the 6^th of December 2024.

On the 17^th of January 2025, the US Supreme Court upheld the ban. At this point, TikTok had two options: stop its operations in the US or be sold by the parent company ByteDance, to a US company. ByteDance refused the sale.

On the 18^th of January and part of the 19^th of January, TikTok stops functioning in the US. However, the app becomes available again during the latter part of the 19^th of January with the pop-up message: “As a result of President Trump’s efforts, TikTok is back in the US!”

On the 20^th of January, President Donald Trump signed an executive order, directing the US attorney general not to enforce the ban on TikTok for 75 days.

What Happened Before the Blackout

As the US TikTok ban loomed in sight as inevitable, many popular influencers started saying goodbye to their followers and directing them to other social media platforms. Some of them went as far as venting their frustrations in extremely uncivil language.

The same influencers came back on TikTok as soon it became available again to delete these messages. Most of them tried to act as if nothing had happened. However, their videos are still available and go viral – the only time when their authors hoped this would not happen.

What Lessons Does the US TikTok Ban Teach Us?

These being the facts, let us draw some conclusions. We are not here to discuss TikTok security concerns or other aspects leading to the ban. Here are our takeaways:

1. Overreliance on a Single Social Media Network Is Not Advisable

As US TikTok influencers scrambled to create accounts on other social media networks days before the ban would come into force, it was clear that being active on a single social media platform is not a good thing.

Even without a ban, technical issues may happen or a platform may decide to restrict its availability to various territories for different reasons. Thus, companies should not limit their social media marketing efforts to just one platform. We usually recommend our clients opening accounts on 2-3 different platforms.

2. Never Engage in Public Social Media Feuds

All social media pages have some trolls among their followers. These are people who enjoy stirring up trouble and starting fights in the comments section. The best solution is to ban them from your page and delete their offensive or bullying messages.

Videos posted by influencers before the TikTok ban in the US are not guarded, and their language does not reflect their authors’ character. Yet, many people will judge them by these messages, not by the content they usually post.

Likewise, if your page starts engaging a troll in the comments section, other followers may leave simply because the interaction made them stop appreciating your brand.

3. Content Posted Online Stays There Forever

Despite their best efforts, US TikTokers could not delete their angry messages. Even if the ban remained active, TikTok users from other areas of the globe could still see their videos. They could download them and upload them on other social media networks or websites.

Thus, the US TikTok ban did nothing to stop content from being accessible online. This is something which everyone should know by now: what is posted on the internet does not disappear. Just one person making one copy is sufficient to keep embarrassing texts, photos, and videos available for others to see.

4. Censorship Is Never a Solution

Finally, the Techtio team wishes to express a personal opinion. We don’t believe that the TikTok ban in the US or anywhere else in the world solves any problem – from data privacy to security issues.

Freedom of speech is one of the most valuable things the democratic world has. It is more than just being able to market products and services more effectively. It is about encouraging the exchange of ideas – which is the only way of achieving progress.

We hope that everyone continues to have access to social media platforms and that the US TikTok ban serves as a valuable lesson in do’s and don’ts during crisis communication.

For the best social media management, contact the Techtio team and let us handle all your interactions with followers!