What are K-netizens saying about the US banning TikTok?

On an online forum, K-netizens shared their reactions to the news of TikTok being banned in the United States. The ban took effect on January 19th local time, causing the app to "go dark" with a message to U.S. users stating that a "law banning TikTok has been enacted."

A Korean netizen posted the news with the following message: 

"Just before the ban, U.S. creators were going live, crying, and causing an uproar. In Korea, TikTok is largely seen as an app for kids ('childlike people'), but in the U.S., it’s one of the major social media platforms. Many people relied on it for their livelihood, using it to promote businesses or upload marketing content. They even protested, asking to be allowed to keep their source of income, but it ended up getting banned anyway. Trump said that if he’s re-elected, he would allow a 90-day grace period. But who knows if that will actually happen..."

This decision, upheld by the Supreme Court, is expected to be temporarily lifted by President-elect Donald Trump, who commented on his Truth Social platform, promising to issue an executive order to delay the ban starting Monday. According to U.S. sources, TikTok has already begun restoring services following Trump's remarks.

Korean netizens have expressed mixed opinions about the ban. Some agree with the Supreme Court’s decision to cut ties with TikTok's China-based parent company, ByteDance, citing concerns about data security. Others view Trump’s involvement as a strategic move to gain favor among younger voters in their teens and twenties.

Many have criticized how the U.S. Democratic Party handled the situation, with some arguing that "if they wanted to ban it, they should have done it from the very beginning." Additionally, long-time observers of Trump pointed out the irony of his current stance, as he initially pushed for a TikTok ban during his first presidential term. Some are speculating that there could be deals with companies like Meta or Elon Musk influencing this decision.

Meanwhile, Korean netizens are also discussing the relative lack of TikTok users in Korea compared to the U.S. Some questioned the app’s appeal, noting the availability of alternative platforms like Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts. Others predicted that many American users might migrate to other Chinese platforms, rendering the ban ineffective. Several expressed surprise at a country like the U.S., known for championing free speech, restricting a platform for self-expression.

Reactions from K-netizens include:

"They should have blocked it from the beginning... They shouldn’t have let a Chinese app grow this much."

"And the way they banned it is so dumb, lol. If they’re going to get criticized for banning it, they should’ve done it completely. If you ban it for just one month, what’s the point? They’re just going to get criticized and then everything will go back to normal."

"If they were going to block it, they should have done it earlier."

"Apparently, some people are now downloading other Chinese apps out of defiance."

"Meta lobbied for this, and Democratic lawmakers who bought a lot of Meta stock drafted the bill. They set it up so TikTok would either face a ban or have to sell, and Meta could acquire it. That’s why so many Americans are angry, lol. So Trump suggested giving it an extension."

"But the concerns aren’t entirely baseless. TikTok is deeply tied to China, and it’s true that user data gets sent to China. Honestly, it’s an issue because it’s China, and replacing it might be the right move. Plus, it’s unfair that China blocks YouTube, Google, and Facebook while the U.S. allows everything."

"But Trump will probably use this to his advantage during the election. He’ll promise to bring TikTok back, and that’ll become part of his campaign. It’ll likely get unbanned in the end."

"People keep bringing up Trump, but, lol, back in 2020 when he was president, he was the one who first pushed for a TikTok ban. This is just a continuation of that, and now he’s flip-flopping on it."

"How did TikTok even become this influential in the U.S.? I don’t understand why it’s so popular there when there are so many other social media apps."

"Don’t they use Reels? They could just use that instead."

"So that’s why Instagram’s layout got vertically longer, to absorb TikTok users..."

"It’s fascinating... For a capitalist, freedom-oriented country like the U.S. to block something—why are they doing it?"

"Apparently, it’s because of the backlash from limiting freedom. Some people are purposely switching to Chinese apps as a way to protest the government."

"But it looks like Trump is trying to win over people in their teens and twenties with this. There’s even talk that he discussed TikTok with Xi Jinping and is promising a resolution. Guess we’ll see what happens soon, lol."

"There must be a ton of people running businesses on TikTok, and they’re really banning it?"

"Trump must have some conditions he wants."

"This will probably have a big impact on K-pop too."

"I feel like I understand why the Democrats are failing. Theoretically, they’re right, but they keep proposing overly idealistic policies, so regular people living in reality turn away from them."

"What are the people whose livelihoods depend on it supposed to do?"

"Well, they'll probably move to Douyin."

"If they were going to ban it, they should have done it from the start."

"I tried downloading TikTok once, and honestly, I was shocked by how much gross stuff kept popping up."

"Are they banning it because of the data-leaking issues or just to counter China? It feels like the government is doing it as a form of control. Even if TikTok isn’t great, it’s just another app. Is it because it’s gotten too big?"

"Trump will probably lift the ban after getting something in return."

"It’s ironic for a country that values freedom of expression."

"The number of TikTok creators there is seriously massive."

"TikTok is basically a national social app in the U.S., so it’s wild that it actually got banned, lol."

"My idols have a lot of U.S.-based fans who joined through TikTok."

"As someone who wants TikTok to fail, this seems like a good thing, lol. The harmful effects of TikTok in the U.S. are actually pretty severe."

"But why are people moving to Xiaohongshu of all places, lol? Just the name alone makes it sound like it’ll steal even more personal data."

What are your thoughts?

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