The legislation that requires TikTok to either be sold or banned (which faced major backlash from the app’s content creators) was signed by President Joe Biden back in April. In May, TikTok sued to block the law in May, arguing that the law unfairly targets the app and undermines the free speech rights of its 170 million U.S. users.
President-elect Donald Trump’s planned tariff policies are unfavorable to China, with campaign claims about enacting a 60 percent tariff on all goods coming into our borders.
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With that being said, it looks like TikTok’s time in the United States is nearing its end. But before we say goodbye, let’s look back at the good, bad and ugly moments from one of this eras most popular social platforms.
1. The Cinnamon Challenge
Can you handle a mouthful of cinnamon? Millions of people (for some reason) were curious to find out..
2. The Savage Challenge
We have Megan The Stallion to thank for one of TikToks biggest dance trends.
3. Milk Crate Challenge
People became really bored, but the crate challenge where people attempted to climb up stacks of milk crates proved to be quite entertaining.
Khabane Lame’s twist on life hack videos has made him one of the biggest TikTokers on Earth.. and very rich.
5. Cooking with Kya
The home chef and twerker has quickly made a name for herself as one of TT’s newest “it” personalities.
6. The Waffle House Goes Full Latto
The Waffle House employee who made the vid says she’s since been fired, but hey.. at least she’ll always have this memory, right?
7. Buss It Challenge
The Buss It challenge put Erica Banks in the spotlight. TikTok users transformed and dropped it down with their “Megan knees.”
8. "Then Leave" TikTok Challenge
Beatking’s club anthem racked up tons of plays on (and dollars) courtesy of this TikTok trend.
9. Don't Rush Challenge
The “Don’t Rush Challenge “ is basically where someone looks a certain way, holds up an object to the camera, and then pulls the object away, and comes back on cam glammed up. Simple, but is at over 1.2Billion views collectively.
10. Kanye Blasts Kim K for Posting Their Daughter on TikTok
Last March, North posted several videos on her TikTok page, including herself and her friends, dancing to PinkPantheress and Ice Spice’s hit, “Boy’s a Liar Pt. 2.”
Ye wasn’t having it, and took to social media to express his frustrations.
11. Tide Pod Challenge
Probably one of the strangest trends, kids were actually eating the colorful Tide pods that are meant to clean clothes.
12. WTH: Comedian's Wife Goes Into Labor During TikTok Video
Things took a hard left turn when Philly comedian Tizz 215 and his wifey Tylar Renae decided to part take in the TikTok challenges. Midway through the video Tylar aka Tizzete went into labor and was rushed to the hospital. Tizz 215 is known for going viral on Instagram one too many times but this one has to be the most special one of the bunch.
The Philly comedian took to Instagram and gave us the play by play, “Yo this shit is crazy my daughter really on the way one day before her due date & what a fucking way to come during a damn TikTok after all this bombing I been doing lol but I’m just glad I was able to capture this moment Y’all pray for me and wifey that we have a safe and healthy delivery @tizzette_215 I love u, baby”.
13. Maryland Woman Catches Man Breaking Into Her Apartment While Filming TikTok
A Maryland woman’s encounter with an intruder has gone viral during the pandemic. Hannah Viverette told NBC Washington she dances to relax every night in her apartment in Hagerstown, recording her moves to share on TikTok.
While recording the video, the man, who police identified as Angel Moises Rodriguez-Gomez, climbed up to her balcony and entered her apartment through an open door.
“When he first opened the door, I was prepared, for a few moments, to die,” Viverette said.
14. Drake’s “Tootsie Slide” Hits 1 Billion Mark On TikTok #TootsieSlide
Source: Youtube
Drake is quite savvy when it comes to social media and expanding the reach of his musical empire, so when the quarantine-themed “Tootsie Slide” video was released, it was an instant hit on TikTok. The mini-video service is reporting that the hashtag for the Canadian superstar’s latest smash has been viewed over 1 billion times.
In 2020, TMZ shared in a new report that sources over at TikTok have informed the outlet that the use of the #tootsieslide hashtag has garnered a billion views with people creating their own dance videos over Drake’s hit.
15. #FlipTheSwitch Trend
Tik Tok is the hottest app out and Gen Z gives us a new dance every week. The #FlipTheSwitch challenge was a 2020 trend that even had your favorite celebrities are joining in!
16. “Can’t Pay the Mortgage This Month” Trend
The controversy about 50/50 partnerships always seems to spark a widespread debate. Advocates of this dynamic argue that this type of arrangement fosters equality and fairness, while critics say splitting costs equally can feel transactional, stripping away romantic notions of care and sacrifice. All the discourse led to this 2024 TikTok trend.
17. TikTok Star Arrested for Murder
Source: Mr. Prada
Mr. Prada, a TikTok star famous for posts on the social media platform who once dropped a post practicing for his mugshot, was arrested for second-degree murder.
Terryon Thomas, also known as Mr. Prada, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder of a therapist after his body was found along a stretch of a Louisiana highway over the weekend. Authorities in Dallas County, Texas, detained the social media star on Monday, a booking sheet revealed.
Per Page Six, the 20-year-old was originally arrested for “damage to property, resisting an officer, and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle” before he was charged with obstruction and murder in the second degree.
18. Beyonce's First TikTok Vid Makes National News
After hiding in the shadows since December of 2021, Beyoncé has officially posted her first TikTok.
With the lead single to her forthcoming album “Break My Soul” playing, the video is a montage of fans dancing and vibing to the upbeat track.
In the caption, Bey thanks fans for their continuous love and support:” Seeing y’all release the wiggle made me so happy! Thank you so much for all the love for BREAK MY SOUL! – Love B”
19. 'Backyardigans' At No. 1
Yes the children’s show Backyardigans began to trend thanks to the song “Castaways,” which went on to debut at #1 on the US Spotify Viral 50 chart.
20. Remember that time TikTok SUED the state of Montana?
Source: Getty
Last Spring, Montana’s governor Greg Gianforte signing a bill that banned TikTok from the state. This was the furthest step taken by a state against the doubtful new app. The law contained fines of up to $10,000 per day if you violated its terms.
In response, TikTok filed a federal lawsuit against the state of Montana after it passed a law against the app and banned it. TikTok argues that banning it is equal to illegal suppression of speech which is against our first amendment. Specifically, the law “unlawfully abridges one of the core freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment.” They also argued that the security threat raised by Tiktok is a national and foreign affairs is a national issue that state officials need not to worry about.
21. Thrift Hacks
The kids are alright. More users are leaning towards a more sustainable life, so the thrift hacks and flips are in abundance on the platform.
If the quarantine due to the coronavirus taught us anything, it’s that boredom will inspire folks to do some crazy things while confined. A new trend has been popping off on TikTok called the #nakedchallenge, but it’s not as on the nose as the hashtag reads.
The challenge is that a person appears first on their smartphone camera draped in a towel, tosses the cloth, and then walks in on their unsuspecting partner or friend to record their reaction.
23. Texas Woman Steals $1.2M from Boss, Spends Cash on TikTok, Trips and NBA Suite
Source: Getty
A North Texas woman with dreams of social media fame finally got her wish.. but not in the way she expected. In August 2024, Staci Blackmon was sentenced to 35 years in prison after she pleaded guilty to a pair of theft cases. According to authorities, the 39-year-old stole more than $1 million from her former employer and used the money to pay for trips and a suite at the American Airlines Center for Dallas Mavericks games.
It all started in 2020, according to prosecutors. That’s when they say Blackmon began embezzling funds from her deceased boss and a high-end construction company in her hometown, eventually racking up $1.2 million in stolen cash over the course of a few years.
24. Megan Thee Stallion's Sexy Return to Social Media
After some time away from social media after a mental health hiatus due to her assault trial with Tory Lanez, Megan was spotted out on the town indulging in a TikTok trend.
Meg can be seen dancing with a couple of friends to Three 6 Mafia’s “Half on a Sack” before bringing out Juicy J to complete the challenge. And in true H-Town Hottie fashion, the award-winning femcee served curves for the girls.
25. Keke Palmer Shares Adorable TikTok Of Her Newborn Son
In March 2023, the actress shared the cutest TikTok of herself singing to her baby boy that left us swooning!
26. Texas Sued TikTok For Violating New Child Privacy Law
Source: Getty
The Lone Star State is going after one of the world’s biggest social media platforms. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against TikTok, alleging the company violated the state’s new child privacy law.
Texas’ Securing Children Online Through Parental Empowerment (SCOPE) Act went into effect a little over a month ago and states that social media platforms are required to verify the ages of younger users and offer parental control features, including the ability for parents to opt their children out of data collection.
27. Rihanna Shares First Look Of Her Son In TikTok Video
Rihanna shared video her son to the world for the first time via TikTok in 2022. In her first-ever TikTok video, the singer/mogul’s 7-month-old son with rapper A$AP Rocky is seen in a car cooing with a big smile. You can hear Mommy Rih-Rih in the background saying “You tryna get Mommy’s phone?” before he takes it.
28. Educators Warn Against 'Slap A Teacher' TikTok Challenge
Talk to enough of your teacher friends and they’ll tell you about a TikTok trend being shared regarding students and pranks they pull on educators. The “Slap A Teacher” challenge is part of an overarching challenge called the Devious Lick Challenge which encourages students to participate in vandalism and more.
In late 2021, the California Teachers Association (CTA) released a warning titled “When Social Media Trends Become Assault.” The message relayed even though the challenge hadn’t caught on widespread, it has already resulted in a student assaulting a teacher in Missouri and another such incident in South Carolina.
29. Lizzo Trolls The Internet With A Faux Pregnancy TikTok
