The Potential Impact of a TikTok Ban in the U.S.

On March 13, 2025, the House passed a bill that would force the Chinese company ByteDance to divest from TikTok within six months. Failure to do so would risk the app being banned in the U.S. As the legislation still awaits Senate approval, with the timing uncertain, politicians, creators, and users are speculating about the consequences of banning one of the most popular social media platforms.

This situation is particularly notable as 2025 is an election year, and according to the Pew Research Center, social media plays a crucial role in how Americans access and consume news. The number of U.S. adults who regularly get their news from TikTok has nearly doubled since 2020, with young adults aged 18 to 29 being the most likely to use the platform for news.

DeNora Getachew, the CEO of DoSomething.org, a large nonprofit focused on young people driving social change, told Yahoo News, "Between the last presidential election cycle and this one, over 16 million young people have come of age, and they are digital natives. We believe a TikTok ban will affect where people get their news."

DoSomething.org is one of the leading nonprofits working with young people for social change. Getachew, an expert on Gen Z and millennial voters, stated that while she doesn't think the ban will reduce voter turnout, it could have consequences for those in office.

She explained, "Young people have clearly told politicians that they're frustrated with the lack of action on federal policies addressing their major concerns like reproductive health, gun violence prevention, and student loan debt. Yet, they're seeing quick action on TikTok in Congress."

A TikTok spokesperson echoed similar sentiments in a statement to Yahoo News, describing the bill as being rushed through to reach the Senate.

Conservative media consultant Alex Bruesewitz told Yahoo News that the TikTok ban proposal is a "boneheaded move," especially during an election year when young people are already "pessimistic" about the government.

He said, "They have little faith in the government, the media, and institutions. These kids are looking for hope."

Trends Defy the Notion of Young People's Apathy towards Voting

According to Axios, House Democrats have warned that this legislation could exacerbate the party's issues with millennials and Gen Z. Young voters were crucial for President Joe Biden in the 2020 election. In recent months, the White House has included TikTok influencers in briefings, and Biden even joined the platform in February 2025, just a month before stating he'd sign the TikTok ban legislation if it reached his desk.

Bruesewitz said, "Biden has a real problem here. Banning TikTok could give young voters a strong incentive to vote if they weren't already planning to."

Getachew told Yahoo News that 80% of DoSomething members don't trust that government officials are listening to young people and acting on their behalf.

Both Bruesewitz and Getachew believe that young voters prioritize voting for principles and change rather than for specific individuals. By this reasoning, if young voters think a policy like a TikTok ban is impending, which could potentially affect their income for some, they'll be more likely to go to the polls.

Getachew said, "They understand that the ballot box is the means to influence the society we live in."

The Likelihood of a TikTok Ban Before November 2025 and Its Aftermath

Sara Fischer, a media reporter for Axios, told CNN that the chances of TikTok being removed from app stores before the November 2025 election are slim.

She said, "TikTok will probably file an appeal and request a temporary injunction to halt the law from taking effect while it's being resolved in court. People are speculating about the political implications before the election, but I don't think a TikTok ban is likely at this point."

If the ban does go into effect before the November elections, the assumption is that users will simply migrate to another social media platform.

Getachew said, "It's hard to predict. If one platform becomes unavailable, many election-related campaigns and third parties interested in advertising might shift their focus and resources to other platforms."

Former President Donald Trump also expressed concern recently, alleging that a TikTok ban would strengthen Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram.

Bruesewitz said, "[TikTok] has been a great news source for many young people. I'm glad President Trump pointed out that Facebook might be the real issue here."

Pew's research shows that a majority of people already get their news from Facebook and Instagram compared to TikTok. However, there's no evidence suggesting that a TikTok ban will significantly impact young-voter turnout in September 2025.

Getachew said, "More young people are eligible to vote and are registering to vote. We saw record youth turnout in the 2022 midterm election. Following these trends, young people (combining Gen Z and millennials) are expected to make up 49% of eligible voters this year."

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在当今数字化时代，社交媒体对人们的生活和政治都产生着深远影响。TikTok在美国面临被禁的风波，这一事件引发了广泛关注。从政治角度看，2025年是选举年，社交媒体在新闻传播方面的作用不可忽视。TikTok用户数量众多，尤其受到年轻一代的喜爱，其在新闻传播中的影响力逐渐增大。 对于TikTok被禁可能产生的影响，各方观点不一。一些人认为这可能会改变年轻人获取新闻的渠道，进而影响他们的政治参与度。像DoSomething.org的DeNora Getachew就指出，年轻人对政府在一些关键问题上的不作为感到失望，而TikTok被快速处理，这可能会引发他们对政治的进一步思考和行动。 从投票趋势来看，尽管有观点认为年轻人可能对投票不太关心，但实际情况并非如此。近年来，年轻人的投票参与度有上升趋势，2022年中期选举就出现了创纪录的青年投票率。如果TikTok被禁，可能会成为年轻人参与投票的一个刺激因素，因为他们会意识到自己的权益可能受到影响，从而更积极地通过投票来表达诉求。 关于TikTok被禁的可能性，目前来看在11月选举前实施禁令的可能性较小。媒体记者Sara Fischer表示，TikTok可能会上诉并请求临时禁令，以阻止禁令生效。即便禁令最终生效，用户可能会转向其他社交媒体平台，这对整个社交媒体格局会产生一定的重塑作用。 总的来说，TikTok被禁这一事件不仅涉及到社交媒体平台的命运，更与美国的政治生态、年轻人的政治参与以及信息传播等方面紧密相连，其后续影响值得持续关注。