Once again a potential ban on TikTok in the United States has been pushed back after President Trump’s tariff announcement derailed a deal that would transfer American participation on the app to U.S. based ownership. In light of this possibility, many students and teachers on campus are experiencing a dilemma.

“I think generally things that limit freedom of speech are a bad thing,” Humanities and AP Human Geography teacher Sarah Wiseman said. “But the Chinese government definitely has an interest in spying on Americans. So, you know, it would be better if we had a similar technology that was perhaps more US-based.”

For some, including geometry and algebra teacher Katherine Rainwater, there is a bright side to this ban. 

“I think it’s a double edged sword,” Rainwater said. “I definitely am addicted to TikTok, so it being gone would probably be good for my productivity and mental well being, but I also would be sad.”

If ByteDance chooses to retain ownership of TikTok, the federal government will ban the platform due to national security concerns.

In the United States alone, there are 135 million TikTok users–many of whom would be sad to see the app go. 

“I think I’d be kind of upset, but not like to a point where I’m like going crazy about it,” freshman Buse Oklu said. “I don’t know. I feel like I communicate with a lot of my friends from different countries on TikTok, so I feel like I would have to find other apps to talk with them.”

“I feel like TikTok is a good way to get people across the world and across the country, all together,” math teacher Julia Ridgway said. “You can learn so many different things that you otherwise wouldn’t have learned being on TikTok and I think it’s also just a fun way of just, you know, releasing your anxiety and your stress and having some entertainment out there.”