In 2025 people in the U.S. spent an average of one hour per day on TikTok.That made it the number one app, based on screen time, in the country. TikTok's rise to number one and an inability to regulate it, like the U.S. government does with television and radio, has led to questions about how safe it is to use. The safety issues are not only about content, but also how the data of its users is used by the foreign governments that own it. In August 2020, after India ban TikTok, then President Trump issued an executive order banning the app in the United States citing safety issues. Changes including regulation compliance, information-sharing warnings and AI oversight have kept TikTok available in the USA. The question of if TikTok is more or less safe than other American owned social media platforms is an ongoing conversation. Is TikTok safe to use?
There was once an app called Musical.ly it was a small app of just over a couple million users. It was made by a company called Bytedance in China in 2014 they were low on users and money. Bytedance chose to merge with a new app called Tiktok and the apps rise to number one began. TikTok has had millions of people hooked to their phones for over a decade now. The app allows users comment on and share videos, pictures and creative ideas or information with other users. People share their highest and lowest moments. Some people may just post day to day videos on their life. You can find videos on anything, fashion, DIY's and even cold remedies. According to Google over 150 countries are noted to use the app and 1.6 billion active users around the world. According to Open AI, TikTok's support has saved lives. It has improved mental health awareness by allowing its users to share their stories of mental health struggles, reduced stigma and encourage help seeking behaviors. Specifically, during the COVID epidemic when people were locked inside with no outside support and depression rates were at an all time high. Tiktok gave them a way to socialize and connect with others to discover they were not alone in their feelings. It also has provided life saving real time information during emergency events like natural disasters including the California wildfires and Florida's deadly hurricanes. TikTok's engaging content also includes positive messages on community actions to support members, health information and PSA's. UCLA professor Piacentini published a study that confirmed TikTok was an effective coping mechanism for young people during the pandemic. It stated that it provided a platform for social interactions and entertainment which was crucial for their mental well being.
TikTok's negative impact on its users and ability to rapidly spread misinformation cannot be ignored. The Royal Society for Public Health did a study that ranked TikTok as having the greatest negative impact on young people's body image. (RSPH, 2017). Addictive behavior is another concern.In a 2022 Wall Street Journal article it states that "Frequent and prolonged use, potentially fostering overreliance and a constant desire for instant gratification" was called "TikTok brain"(Wall Street journal,2022). The most high profile negative came in 2020 when President Trump brought up what TikTok was doing ,or could do, with users personal data. It was this that started to turn large groups of people against TikTok. That struck the debate if TikTok should be banned in the US.
There were people saying that China is trying to steal our information because they run the app. Additionally "US officials have said that there is a chance that TikTok could be used by the Chinese government to collect information on Americans or influence them through TikTok's content."(New York Times, 2023) Yet they have zero to little proof of accusing them of doing so. Today we are discussing why they should not ban TikTok in the USA. For a simple reason, we have found that it does more help than harm. The Supreme Court decided In the debate of TikTok v. Garland which practically said that what people want to put out is at their own risk. So as long as you know how to keep your information safe it is perfectly fine to use and keep the app.
Currently in 2025 Bytedance still has the legal ownership of TikTok as an app. Over many years of ownership, only currently within the last two to three years has there been any worry of Bytedance stealing information illegally. According to a couple sources the laws in China prevent any "illegal" gathering of personal information. Specifically an article called "Is TikTok Really A National Security Threat?" written by Peter Suciu and authorized by Forbes, specifies both what is talked about and if it is true according to facts gathered. In the beginning they state that According to an FBI agent by the name of Christopher Wray stating that he is "extremely concerned" with the 2017 National Intelligence Law that stated that "all of its citizens and businesses are required to assist in intelligence gathering, and must share any data with Beijing." (Suciu,2022). It brought up a lot of worry in the community and to adults and children alike. On the other hand Dr. Clifford Lampe practically stated that what Wray said was legitimate concerns but dramatic, unactionable and just a generalized fear over China at best. Additionally, he follows up that TikToks traffic goes through Oracle servers. Also adding that China tries their best to split Chinese operations from the US part of the company. Although adding later to how it could be dangerous, using any app or installing any additional add ons to your phone,laptop or computer might share information that you don't know about. In conclusion Suciu is proving why yes it could possibly be dangerous but still no more or no less than anything else on your electronics.
Looking at the safety of the app if people see the statistics there are 1.6 billion users on TikTok and according to an article by Kirsten Eddy published by Pew Research Center in 2024 "59% of adults under 30 say they use the app, compared with 40% of Americans ages 30 to 49, 26% of those 50 to 64, and 10% of those 65 and older." Whilst "About six-in-ten teens ages 13 to 17 (63%) say they use TikTok,"(Eddy,2024). Which sadly proves that there are more teenagers on the app than adults. Although, according to Tiktok they have made a minimum age requirement of 13+ making sure that kids have a different "For You" page that blocks any inappropriate posts and additional safety measures including private messaging, going live, and the account is private by default and to make it extra safe they started adding parental controls till you are above the age of 16. At 16 you are able to message people, duet posts and have a choice whether you want to make your account public. Once you turn 18 it is free reign for anything on the app because your choices are your own now.
The US government does have a part to play in this, according to a speech from The Daily by The New York Times website the two ladies speaking are going back and forth about the facts that they have heard and one of them says that TikTok has been working with CFIUS which is the Committee of Foreign Investment in the United States. and there were executive orders made and quoted by Donald Trump that proves that the US government is working with TikTok by creating the "Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act that regulates foreign adversary controlled applications specifically those operated by TikTok and any other subsidiary of its China-based parent company, ByteDance Ltd., on national security grounds." (Trump,2025). The Act has 6 sections that make it equal for Bytedance to run TikTok in the US legally but also make sure they are not breaking any of our laws. Our government and Bytedance is doing its best to keep everyone safe.
Tiktok's algorithm is based on search and linked video factors with their use in AI oversight. For example when you make an account, the AI goes through a questioning process which looks at your age and what videos you would be interested in.The AI would then think at those factors and make a "for you" page based on your answers. AI has helped the workers on TikTok flag posts and suspicious messages to keep people safe. At the beginning they had an anonymous reporting system that would send a message to the workers over at the company. In an article by Sky News the reporter Mickey Carroll has a conversation with the senior safety executive over at the UK's TikTok named Ali Law about TikTok's AI usage and he states that "TikTok says it now removes around 85% of violative content without getting a human involved"(Law,2025). With the growing amount of people using the app is quite helpful. Mr,Law also states that with new upgrades on their AI it will be able to report and flag more in video contexts like threats, weapons used in a violent encounter and even find hidden things in backgrounds. Later Mr,Law declares that "The power really comes in the combination of the best technology and human experts working together, and that still is the case at TikTok and it will be going forwards as well."(Law, 2025). There was a large debate because people were losing their jobs as moderators. Chi Onwurah also explains that AI "just isn't reliable or safe enough to take on work like this, and there was a "real risk" to UK users"(Onwurah,2025). That argument was quickly solved and nulled because of their debate saying that they still need human moderators to correct the AI. TikTok's use of AI has changed how we look at the safety of the app.
Lots of people have been worried about possible mental health and the health issues rotating around TikTok. There was research issued in 2022 written by PubMed Central called "using TikTok for public and youth mental health-a systematic review and content analysis" that shows the positives, negatives and how to help and prevent any future health problems. As such it quotes that "Indeed, many of the included studies in the review found that TikTok was being used by both professionals and creators alike to communicate short-form audio-visual content relating to key issues for young people, including acne, pandemic information, and eating disorders."(PMC,2022). For example, according to Google AI a guy by the name of DermDoctor is the most followed doctor on TikTok as a Dermatologist. He has over 17 million followers, he posts videos about how to take care of your skin and even debunks other videos and facial care products on the market. Having doctors of all types and positive influencers that post life changing ideas helps not just everyone but the people who want to make their lives better. Although there are mostly positive influencers, it is social media which means theres going to be haters or trolls as you might call them. They will post and comment hateful things that can influence your emotional health. Being aware of the differences in positive influence and negative influence is very important.
It might not be 100% safe but if you keep your information to yourself, be aware of possible scams and report suspicious accounts you should be just fine. In an article by Security.org written by Paul Frew they talk about the current problems you could run into and how to keep yourself safe. It talks about scams such as; romance scams,scam apps,Phishing scams and even cryptocurrency advancement scams that could happen not within the app but other users' scams. It states that " As content creators on TikTok become more creative, so do scammers and fraudsters."(Frew,2025). What information does tiktok really collect? To answer that question the same article says that they use personal information that you as a person put on there like your email address and if you post a video with your face they know what you look like.Additionaly if you want to verify your account you will need to send a picture of your ID to them. They also collect your user content, behavioral information,information from third parties,technical information,location, and even in app purchases. It sounds like a lot but in reality any app that you use will collect the same things. So you would have to delete all apps on your phone and erase all data on your phone and even get rid of your cell phone to be 100% "safe".Which in today's day would be very hard to do. So as long as you don't get caught in a scam then you should be perfectly safe.
People as humans in the US have a right to choose what we do with our lives and how we help others or stand back and do nothing. People need to be safe and keep each other safe so if you have any worry or see anything suspicious report, block, and do not text or message them. That is the best way to keep safe in general with any app out there on the market. No matter if you believe tiktok is safe or not, you should still be aware of the possibilities of scammers and specific people out to do no good. Although from research it proves that it isn't Tiktok that is unsafe but any app and the people in it.
There was once an app called Musical.ly it was a small app of just over a couple million users. It was made by a company called Bytedance in China in 2014 they were low on users and money. Bytedance chose to merge with a new app called Tiktok and the apps rise to number one began. TikTok has had millions of people hooked to their phones for over a decade now. The app allows users comment on and share videos, pictures and creative ideas or information with other users. People share their highest and lowest moments. Some people may just post day to day videos on their life. You can find videos on anything, fashion, DIY's and even cold remedies. According to Google over 150 countries are noted to use the app and 1.6 billion active users around the world. According to Open AI, TikTok's support has saved lives. It has improved mental health awareness by allowing its users to share their stories of mental health struggles, reduced stigma and encourage help seeking behaviors. Specifically, during the COVID epidemic when people were locked inside with no outside support and depression rates were at an all time high. Tiktok gave them a way to socialize and connect with others to discover they were not alone in their feelings. It also has provided life saving real time information during emergency events like natural disasters including the California wildfires and Florida's deadly hurricanes. TikTok's engaging content also includes positive messages on community actions to support members, health information and PSA's. UCLA professor Piacentini published a study that confirmed TikTok was an effective coping mechanism for young people during the pandemic. It stated that it provided a platform for social interactions and entertainment which was crucial for their mental well being.
TikTok's negative impact on its users and ability to rapidly spread misinformation cannot be ignored. The Royal Society for Public Health did a study that ranked TikTok as having the greatest negative impact on young people's body image. (RSPH, 2017). Addictive behavior is another concern.In a 2022 Wall Street Journal article it states that "Frequent and prolonged use, potentially fostering overreliance and a constant desire for instant gratification" was called "TikTok brain"(Wall Street journal,2022). The most high profile negative came in 2020 when President Trump brought up what TikTok was doing ,or could do, with users personal data. It was this that started to turn large groups of people against TikTok. That struck the debate if TikTok should be banned in the US.
There were people saying that China is trying to steal our information because they run the app. Additionally "US officials have said that there is a chance that TikTok could be used by the Chinese government to collect information on Americans or influence them through TikTok's content."(New York Times, 2023) Yet they have zero to little proof of accusing them of doing so. Today we are discussing why they should not ban TikTok in the USA. For a simple reason, we have found that it does more help than harm. The Supreme Court decided In the debate of TikTok v. Garland which practically said that what people want to put out is at their own risk. So as long as you know how to keep your information safe it is perfectly fine to use and keep the app.
Currently in 2025 Bytedance still has the legal ownership of TikTok as an app. Over many years of ownership, only currently within the last two to three years has there been any worry of Bytedance stealing information illegally. According to a couple sources the laws in China prevent any "illegal" gathering of personal information. Specifically an article called "Is TikTok Really A National Security Threat?" written by Peter Suciu and authorized by Forbes, specifies both what is talked about and if it is true according to facts gathered. In the beginning they state that According to an FBI agent by the name of Christopher Wray stating that he is "extremely concerned" with the 2017 National Intelligence Law that stated that "all of its citizens and businesses are required to assist in intelligence gathering, and must share any data with Beijing." (Suciu,2022). It brought up a lot of worry in the community and to adults and children alike. On the other hand Dr. Clifford Lampe practically stated that what Wray said was legitimate concerns but dramatic, unactionable and just a generalized fear over China at best. Additionally, he follows up that TikToks traffic goes through Oracle servers. Also adding that China tries their best to split Chinese operations from the US part of the company. Although adding later to how it could be dangerous, using any app or installing any additional add ons to your phone,laptop or computer might share information that you don't know about. In conclusion Suciu is proving why yes it could possibly be dangerous but still no more or no less than anything else on your electronics.
Looking at the safety of the app if people see the statistics there are 1.6 billion users on TikTok and according to an article by Kirsten Eddy published by Pew Research Center in 2024 "59% of adults under 30 say they use the app, compared with 40% of Americans ages 30 to 49, 26% of those 50 to 64, and 10% of those 65 and older." Whilst "About six-in-ten teens ages 13 to 17 (63%) say they use TikTok,"(Eddy,2024). Which sadly proves that there are more teenagers on the app than adults. Although, according to Tiktok they have made a minimum age requirement of 13+ making sure that kids have a different "For You" page that blocks any inappropriate posts and additional safety measures including private messaging, going live, and the account is private by default and to make it extra safe they started adding parental controls till you are above the age of 16. At 16 you are able to message people, duet posts and have a choice whether you want to make your account public. Once you turn 18 it is free reign for anything on the app because your choices are your own now.
The US government does have a part to play in this, according to a speech from The Daily by The New York Times website the two ladies speaking are going back and forth about the facts that they have heard and one of them says that TikTok has been working with CFIUS which is the Committee of Foreign Investment in the United States. and there were executive orders made and quoted by Donald Trump that proves that the US government is working with TikTok by creating the "Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act that regulates foreign adversary controlled applications specifically those operated by TikTok and any other subsidiary of its China-based parent company, ByteDance Ltd., on national security grounds." (Trump,2025). The Act has 6 sections that make it equal for Bytedance to run TikTok in the US legally but also make sure they are not breaking any of our laws. Our government and Bytedance is doing its best to keep everyone safe.
Tiktok's algorithm is based on search and linked video factors with their use in AI oversight. For example when you make an account, the AI goes through a questioning process which looks at your age and what videos you would be interested in.The AI would then think at those factors and make a "for you" page based on your answers. AI has helped the workers on TikTok flag posts and suspicious messages to keep people safe. At the beginning they had an anonymous reporting system that would send a message to the workers over at the company. In an article by Sky News the reporter Mickey Carroll has a conversation with the senior safety executive over at the UK's TikTok named Ali Law about TikTok's AI usage and he states that "TikTok says it now removes around 85% of violative content without getting a human involved"(Law,2025). With the growing amount of people using the app is quite helpful. Mr,Law also states that with new upgrades on their AI it will be able to report and flag more in video contexts like threats, weapons used in a violent encounter and even find hidden things in backgrounds. Later Mr,Law declares that "The power really comes in the combination of the best technology and human experts working together, and that still is the case at TikTok and it will be going forwards as well."(Law, 2025). There was a large debate because people were losing their jobs as moderators. Chi Onwurah also explains that AI "just isn't reliable or safe enough to take on work like this, and there was a "real risk" to UK users"(Onwurah,2025). That argument was quickly solved and nulled because of their debate saying that they still need human moderators to correct the AI. TikTok's use of AI has changed how we look at the safety of the app.
Lots of people have been worried about possible mental health and the health issues rotating around TikTok. There was research issued in 2022 written by PubMed Central called "using TikTok for public and youth mental health-a systematic review and content analysis" that shows the positives, negatives and how to help and prevent any future health problems. As such it quotes that "Indeed, many of the included studies in the review found that TikTok was being used by both professionals and creators alike to communicate short-form audio-visual content relating to key issues for young people, including acne, pandemic information, and eating disorders."(PMC,2022). For example, according to Google AI a guy by the name of DermDoctor is the most followed doctor on TikTok as a Dermatologist. He has over 17 million followers, he posts videos about how to take care of your skin and even debunks other videos and facial care products on the market. Having doctors of all types and positive influencers that post life changing ideas helps not just everyone but the people who want to make their lives better. Although there are mostly positive influencers, it is social media which means theres going to be haters or trolls as you might call them. They will post and comment hateful things that can influence your emotional health. Being aware of the differences in positive influence and negative influence is very important.
It might not be 100% safe but if you keep your information to yourself, be aware of possible scams and report suspicious accounts you should be just fine. In an article by Security.org written by Paul Frew they talk about the current problems you could run into and how to keep yourself safe. It talks about scams such as; romance scams,scam apps,Phishing scams and even cryptocurrency advancement scams that could happen not within the app but other users' scams. It states that " As content creators on TikTok become more creative, so do scammers and fraudsters."(Frew,2025). What information does tiktok really collect? To answer that question the same article says that they use personal information that you as a person put on there like your email address and if you post a video with your face they know what you look like.Additionaly if you want to verify your account you will need to send a picture of your ID to them. They also collect your user content, behavioral information,information from third parties,technical information,location, and even in app purchases. It sounds like a lot but in reality any app that you use will collect the same things. So you would have to delete all apps on your phone and erase all data on your phone and even get rid of your cell phone to be 100% "safe".Which in today's day would be very hard to do. So as long as you don't get caught in a scam then you should be perfectly safe.
People as humans in the US have a right to choose what we do with our lives and how we help others or stand back and do nothing. People need to be safe and keep each other safe so if you have any worry or see anything suspicious report, block, and do not text or message them. That is the best way to keep safe in general with any app out there on the market. No matter if you believe tiktok is safe or not, you should still be aware of the possibilities of scammers and specific people out to do no good. Although from research it proves that it isn't Tiktok that is unsafe but any app and the people in it.
