
After close to a year of asking “Will it happen?” TikTok was shut down in the United States at midnight Sunday.
Since the app’s creation, Jewish content and content creators have been trendsetters on the app. From the Miami Boys Choir — an Orthodox singing group — taking the world by storm to influencers like Miriam Ezagui and Melinda Strauss teaching the world about Judaism, many parts of TikTok were uniquely “Jewish.’
However, with the popularity of TikTok — and its notorious anti-Israel algorithm, antisemitism has simultaneously flourished on the app. Jews were accused of being behind the ban because of the high density of anti-Israel content, in addition to being accused of causing everything from the Los Angeles wildfires to accusing Israel of masterminding the Oct. 7 attacks.
Months ago, Unpacked asked its readers what they thought about the TikTok ban. Then, it was pretty evenly split. Close to a year later, just hours after they’ve looked at their For You Page for the final time, these Gen Zers overwhelmingly disapproved of the ban.
Here’s what they had to say:
Why was TikTok banned
The video-sharing app, which 170 million Americans used each month, was forced to sell or shut down in the U.S. after the Supreme Court unanimously upheld Congress’ decision from March 2023.
The Supreme Court found that the law doesn’t violate the First Amendment rights of TikTok users nor the app. TikTok said that despite the ban, it refuses to sell.
U.S. national security experts are concerned about Chinese policies that TikTok must submit information about its over 100 million American users if requested. Experts fear that Americans’ identity information, location data and browsing history are being shared with the CCP.
Some evidence has been released to the public that this is happening. Forbes reported that ByteDance planned to use TikTok to monitor certain American users’ locations. Similarly, The New York Times reported that ByteDance inappropriately accessed the personal data of American tech journalists and those close to them to try to identify the whistleblowers who exposed the plan.
There are concerns that the Chinese government is using TikTok to spy on Americans by collecting U.S. user data, and could leverage the app’s powerful algorithm to push stances supported by the Chinese government and skew American public opinion. In addition, there are concerns that TikTok is being used to cultivate unhealthy internet addictions in Gen Z.
Senators from both parties received a classified briefing from national security leaders in which the experts presented evidence and their “unanimous opinion” that TikTok is a danger to national security.
Several legislators are calling for the revelations from this briefing to be made public so that the American people can better understand the threat.
“The reality is that we have that entity having that much personal data, access to, and that much potential to manipulate content on a platform that a lot of young people look to as their No. 1 news source,” Democratic Senator Mark Warner said.
TikTok denies its connection to the CCP and that its algorithm pushes a political agenda. The company said in a statement that the measure would strip Americans of their right to free expression and would “damage millions of businesses…and destroy the livelihoods of countless creators.”
Many Gen Z Jews are upset about the ban
The most recent polling found that 73% of Gen Zers in the U.S. don’t support the TikTok ban — up 20% from 2023.
The eight Gen Z Jews Unpacked spoke to overwhelmingly agreed with their peers that they were opposed to the TikTok ban.
While some did not know the reasons why TikTok was being forced to sell in the U.S., many who knew the government’s arguments said that they were not concerned with the threat of China stealing their data.
“Facebook and the American government have been collecting our information since we were kids. They just don’t like that someone else is finally getting in on the action,” Philip, a 23-year-old graduate student, told Unpacked. He added that the U.S. government hasn’t shared briefs about the national security threats, and would likely change his beliefs if he knew more because he is not an active user of the app.
Talia, who says she spends “around 20 hours a week” on TikTok agreed that the reasons behind the ban have been made clear enough.
“I just use it to keep up with trends. No one’s really told us why that’s such a threat,” the 21-year-old college senior said.
Talia, whose favorite Jewish creators include relationship-centered comedian Jared Fried and chef Jake Cohen, added that she has enjoyed getting more involved in the Jewish community through TikTok.
“There’s many Jewish students on my campus, but I’m from bumblef–k Ohio so there’s not much of a community here. It was nice to connect,” she said. She added that she made the decision to move to New York City after her senior year as a result of TikTok, citing all the Jewish TIkTokers she loved living there.
“They made Jewish life look so fun and warm there. Living around other Jews these past few years has made me want to do that for the rest of my life, so NYC feels like the right place,” Talia said. “I probably would have moved closer to home otherwise.”
For Jews outside of large hubs, TikTok has been a way to find peers and to feel connected to the larger Jewish community.
However, even for Jews in Miami or New York City, it has been a way to feel closer to the Jewish community.
Isabella, a 27-year-old Israeli-American living in Brooklyn, has found catharsis in connecting with other expats and feeling closer to home after Oct. 7. While many of her friends use TikTok as a news source, she tends to not unless it’s coming from the account of a mainstream publication.
“It’s nice to hear people speaking Hebrew and to keep up with what’s going on. TikTok feels like a warm hug in comparison to the feed on reels,” she said.
When asked about the strong anti-Israel sentiment on TikTok and the pervasiveness of antisemitism on the app, Isabella said it didn’t change her mind: “People are going to hate Israel everywhere. I used it and found people who loved Israel.”
Healthcare worker Jonah, 27, lives in Los Angeles, and is opposed to the ban. He has found TikTok to be a great source of Jewish pride, as he exclusively follows Jewish and pro-Israel content creators.
He said that accounts like his favorites, Lost Tribe Sports and comedian Modi, make Judaism more accessible and fun.
“What some people get from Shabbat services, I get from Jewish comedians on TikTok. It’s all about actively choosing to be Jewish. TikTok is just the best way for me,” he said.
Others believe it’s for the best
Some of the Gen Z Jews Unpacked spoke to believe it’s time to go for TikTok. Those opposed brought up the national security risks, rampant antisemitism, and what they perceive to be the overwhelming number of people addicted to TikTok.
David, a 24-year-old graduate student, said he “couldn’t wait” for TikTok to be banned for his own mental health. He found that he would zone out during classes or conversations and just begin watching TikTok. He said the “brain rot” has negatively impacted his mental health, his productivity, and his relationships with others.
“Entire hours will disappear because I’ll just be scrolling,” he said. “It’s selfish that this is my reason, but it’s an addiction I can’t quit — and it’s by design.”
David and his boyfriend enjoy making and watching TikToks together, but he said that they’ll likely be able to check off more things on their bucket list now.
“I don’t think many older people understand the extent to which social media addiction takes over peoples’ lives. Especially knowing that foreign governments are gaining from all this time I’m wasting, I am too happy to get rid of TikTok.”
Read more: Why are people saying Jews are “behind” the ban of TikTok?
Nikki, 21, deleted TikTok a year ago when she began researching more into the national security threats the app poses. She agreed with those who opposed the ban that there should be more transparency; what she found was enough for her to delete all social media.
“TikTok is predatory. Facebook is predatory. Instagram is predatory. These apps all monitor Americans and that is wrong,” she said. While she argued that there is “a double standard” between deleting TikTok and other social media apps which have given information over to the U.S. government, she understands why TikTok is the main focus now.
“We really don’t know what the CCP is doing with our information,” Nikki said.
Graduate student Danielle, 25, said that besides the “troublesome” national security threats, she was for the TikTok ban because of the amount of antisemitism on the app.
“Every Jewish video is either telling us to go to the gas chambers or calling us baby killers. There’s no way to stop the trolls,” she said.
Content creators who speak to Unpacked consistently report being harassed by antisemitism on TikTok. Particularly in the months after Oct. 7, Jewish content creators have reported an increase in spamming, including calls for the deaths of Jews and Palestinian flags.
“I love TikTok, I watch TikTok, but there’s no accountability for antisemitism,” Gabby, 24, said. “I feel afraid to watch it as a Jew, but I also can’t turn it off.”
According to the ADL, between 2021 and 2023, the percentage of adults who have been harassed on TikTok rose from 5% to 19%.
Unfortunately, antisemitism doesn’t solely remain a problem for TikTok. A January 2024 report from Cyberwell found that there has been an 86% rise in antisemitic content across all platforms since Oct. 7.
The report found that X saw the most frequent “denial and distortion of the events of Oct. 7” and adherence to its own moderation policies.
Critics accuse TikTok of silencing Jewish and pro-Israel voices and pushing pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel content on users’ feeds — even if they have not engaged with similar accounts or content previously.
Will TikTok be back?
President-elect Donald Trump said Saturday that “most likely” he will delay the nationwide ban on TikTok for 90 days in hopes of the app being sold.
He said that he will “probably” announce this new development on Monday.
TikTok issued a statement late Saturday night saying that it would no longer be accessible to its U.S. audience. The White House labeled this action a “stunt” and it said it would not act on the TikTok ban in the final days of the Biden administration.
“We see no reason for TikTok or other companies to take actions in the next few days before the Trump administration takes office on Monday,” Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. “We have laid out our position clearly and straightforwardly: actions to implement this law will fall to the next administration. So TikTok and other companies should take up any concerns with them.”
Originally Published Jan 19, 2025 06:42AM EST