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President Donald Trump’s administration claims that it’s banning TikTok for national security reasons. The president’s timing and history of silencing the media prove that his personal agenda is fueling the ban.

It’s no secret that TikTok users have burned Trump a time or two. Most notably, at his rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma on June 20, tens of thousands of users reserved tickets to the event but didn’t attend. It proved to be a large embarrassment after his campaign team had boasted that over 1 million tickets had been reserved and only about 6,200 people showed up to the event.

A month later, Trump announced he would be looking into banning TikTok.

“We’re looking at TikTok. We may be banning TikTok. We may be doing other things, there are a couple of options,” he said during an impromptu press conference.

His wording makes him seem unsure, as if testing how the audience will react before committing to an attack. He goes back and forth slightly throughout the video clip. It’s unclear by the end if he will be banning the app or trying to pursue a different route.

Trump has a history of attacking the media to discredit sources that disagree with him. The most common and trivial attack is his usage of the term “fake news.” Authoritarian leaders in other countries have adopted the term to restrict the freedom of the press, according to The Washington Post. This goes against traditional American ideals, the very thing he claims to want back.

Lars Willnat, a communications professor at Syracuse University and an expert in mass communications, recognizes the disconnect between the TikTok ban and the ideals Americans claim to have.

“Prohibiting the use of social media apps is something I would expect to see in authoritarian countries, not in a nation that prides itself on free speech and supporting democracy around the world,” he said.

TikTok is particularly vulnerable because it is a Chinese company, owned by ByteDance. China and the United States have collided often during Trump’s presidency, with Trump often attempting to paint China as an enemy. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has only fueled this collision, with Trump using racist language and stoking fear about the virus to motivate his supporters.

Trump might be feeling extra insecure during an election year. The close presidential race means tensions are high.

“I believe that Trump’s legally questionable attempt to ban TikTok and WeChat services from mobile app stores was mostly designed to look tough on China in an election year,” he said.

The president is using a popular platform to make a point about national security to his constituents without having much data to support his claims. Most popular platforms collect some kind of data on their users, but the data TikTok collects is very similar to other companies operating in the U.S., according to Business Insider. The security concerns are not what is really motivating Trump.

Trump doesn’t realize that TikTok has a large, young audience of eligible voters. Its political roots are deep, and its users will realize he banned the platform for his personal gain, not their security. The president is acting as though he leads an authoritarian country. The vast majority of Americans support freedom of expression and will take issue with any restrictions that Trump attempts to enact. He should not be allowed to ban services because they don’t fit his agenda.

Fortunately, a federal court granted an injunction this week, halting the ban pending a court case. But this action merely buys TikTok more time to make its case. A ban ordered to go into effect on Nov. 12 is still in place. At this point, the future of the platform will come down to the ability of TikTok’s lawyers to prove their case against the government.

If our democracy is going to remain strong, citizens must speak out against limits to free speech and freedom of expression. Trump’s behavior is attempting to limit ways information can be dispersed. He’s attempting to create a culture that undermines basic rights, and he won’t stop at TikTok. Other platforms will begin to get banned.

Trump isn’t doing this for national safety. He’s doing this because these platforms don’t conform to his agenda.

Micaela Warren is a freshman communication and rhetorical studies major. Her column appears bi-weekly. She can be reached at mgwarren@syr.edu.

Published on September 30, 2020 at 11:33 pm