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Time is running out for TikTok; the deadline for the app to be sold or banned is April 5.
That’s when President Trump’s executive order keeping the app alive expires. After that, the future of TikTok in the U.S. hangs in the balance. A sale to an American company is being pushed as the solution to the national security concerns many have raised about the Chinese-owned app.
The idea being floated is straightforward enough. Essentially, shift ownership, sever ties with China and move on. There’s just one issue, and it’s a big one: It won’t work.
I’ve been sounding the alarm [ [link removed] ] on TikTok for years—long before most people even grasped the scale of the problem. But I’m not here to toot my own horn. Rather, I’m here to show that this app isn’t just a security risk; it’s a weapon. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has been wielding it masterfully to divide America [ [link removed] ] for years. A change in ownership won’t stop that. It won’t undo the damage already done. And it certainly won’t nullify the deeper threat that TikTok poses. In short, a new leader at the helm won’t change the machine.
Oracle of Doom
American tech giant Oracle is reportedly leading the race [ [link removed] ] to take over TikTok’s U.S. operations. Vice President J.D. Vance and national security adviser Mike Waltz are, we’re told, spearheading the negotiations.
If chosen, Oracle would be tasked with overseeing the data of American users and ensuring that the Chinese government doesn’t have a backdoor into it. This is an impossible task—not just for Oracle, but for any U.S. company.
The core issue is that TikTok is bound by Beijing’s strict data laws. Even if a U.S. company were to store user data domestically, the app’s core algorithms, updates and back-end operations would still be managed by engineers in China. Any security measure implemented could be reversed by a simple software update—an update that would be unfeasible to track in real time. Then there’s the problem of data leaks. Even with local storage and seemingly strong firewalls, data can escape through less obvious channels. A few lines of code concealed in an update, an innocuous network request or even encrypted traffic masquerading as regular app functions could enable information to be siphoned back to China without detection.
And that’s assuming parent company ByteDance plays by the rules. But why would it? The Chinese government has every reason to keep its influence over TikTok, and ByteDance has every incentive to resist U.S. oversight. Beijing has made it perfectly clear [ [link removed] ] that it would rather shut down TikTok’s U.S. operations than hand over its prized algorithm. Safeguarding TikTok’s U.S. user data from Chinese influence is nearly, if not completely, impossible. No American company, Oracle included, can change that. Only the most deluded, disingenuous or genuinely uninformed could disagree.
The Backdoor Will Always Exist
I recognize there are many reasons to be cautious about banning TikTok. First, it raises serious free speech concerns. Should the U.S. government have the power to shut down a platform just because of its country of origin? Millions of Americans use TikTok not just for entertainment, but for news, activism and personal expression. A ban would set a dangerous precedent for government control over digital speech. Then, of course, there’s the issue of economic fallout. TikTok has become a major marketing tool, a job creator and a launchpad for countless small businesses. Banning it outright would wipe out livelihoods overnight. And let’s not forget the optics: Banning an app that’s wildly popular with young voters could backfire politically.
Nevertheless, TikTok must go. ByteDance built TikTok. Every line of code, every algorithm, every back-end system was designed in China by Chinese engineers. Those engineers are still there. The infrastructure is still there. And the risks are simply too high to ignore, despite the serious tradeoffs a ban would involve.
Let’s assume for the sake of argument that Oracle does take over. What prevents China from influencing TikTok through indirect means? What prevents ByteDance from inserting subtle biases into its recommendation system before the handover? What stops Chinese engineers—many of whom will still be on TikTok’s payroll—from tweaking the algorithm in ways that serve Beijing’s interests?
The answer is nothing. Absolutely nothing.
It’s important to emphasize that the most critical part of TikTok isn’t its servers. It’s the recommendation engine—the algorithm that determines what users see, what they engage with and, ultimately, how they think. To believe that China, America’s most dangerous adversary, would ever surrender its servers is to indulge in the most delusional thinking.
If Oracle takes over TikTok, it will serve as little more than a front-end interface, while the platform’s core will remain fundamentally linked to China. That may sound like a reasonable solution to the decision-makers in Beijing, but it shouldn’t to any rational American. A sale solves nothing. A full ban is the only logical option.
The CCP Knows Exactly What It’s Doing
China is so aware of the dangers of TikTok that it doesn’t even allow its own children to use it. Douyin, the Chinese version of the app, is heavily regulated. Kids under 14 can use it for only 40 minutes a day. They are shown educational videos, science experiments and historical content. No endless scroll. No degenerate trends. No chaos.
Now, compare that with what TikTok feeds American kids. In the U.S., it’s an algorithmically engineered cesspool of hyper-sexualized content, identity politics, mental illness glorification and mindless distraction. Dangerous viral challenges [ [link removed] ]—some of which have resulted in death [ [link removed] ]—spread like wildfire. Social division is amplified. It’s digital crack. China knows this, and anyone who has used the app also understands it.
The CCP has essentially created two versions of the app: one to strengthen China’s youth and another to weaken America’s. This isn’t a theory; it’s an objective reality [ [link removed] ].
The TikTok controversy raises another question: Why can’t Silicon Valley compete? After all, America invented social media—Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, Snapchat, etc. Silicon Valley reshaped the entire digital world. So why should TikTok be treated as if it’s irreplaceable?
If its algorithm, its secret sauce, is what gives it its power, one wonders why no U.S. company has managed to replicate it. The notion that the U.S.—the world leader in technology—has no alternative to a Chinese-made app is rather shocking. Instead of rushing to slap an American label on a Chinese product, perhaps the current administration should focus on investing in a genuine competitor instead.
TikTok Needs To Be Banned
TikTok poses a national security threat [ [link removed] ]. In addition to ByteDance’s close ties to the CCP and the data privacy concerns, there’s also the risk of all-out digital warfare. If tensions escalate between the U.S. and China, which seems likely under the current administration, TikTok could be weaponized to spread more misinformation, manipulate public perception or even influence future elections.
As I mentioned earlier, a ban would probably be quite unpopular, especially at first. The app is deeply ingrained in American culture. But being a good leader isn’t about avoiding short-term backlash. It’s about making the tough decisions that secure the country’s future.
It may sound extreme, but it’s true: TikTok is a tool for digital espionage and psychological manipulation. It gathers data on an unprecedented scale. It shapes narratives in ways that no other platform can. It fuels social division while sending intelligence back to China. It’s a sophisticated weapon, perhaps the most lethal one at Beijing’s disposal.
If Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu were around today, he’d likely call TikTok a masterpiece of modern warfare. He’s long gone, but Donald Trump isn’t. If the president truly wants to put America first, if “Make America Great Again” is more than just a ridiculously catchy slogan, he must have the fortitude to withstand the backlash and ban TikTok outright. Anything less is cowardice—a betrayal of the people he was elected to serve and keep safe.

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