ProCon’s TikTok Quiz

Question: TikTok has been tied to China’s “Digital Silk Road” initiative. What does Silk Road refer to?

Answer: The Silk Road was a network of ancient trade routes, mostly over land but also via sea, that connected China and the West, facilitating trade for some 1,500 years.

Question: Which of the following is not an argument for banning TikTok?

Answer: The belief that TikTok is no more a threat than American-owned social media sites is commonly held among supporters of TikTok.

Question: Which U.S. president promised to “save” TikTok from being banned in the United States?

Answer: On January 20, 2025, day one of his second term in office, President Trump signed an executive order to delay the U.S. ban on TikTok, following through with his promise to try to save the popular app.

Question: Which of the following is not an argument for keeping TikTok open in the United States?

Answer: The belief that TikTok poses a threat to U.S. national security is commonly held among opponents of TikTok.

Question: What happened to TikTok on January 19, 2025?

Answer: On the morning of January 19, 2025, at 12:01 am, TikTok was officially banned in the U.S. as the sale-or-ban law went into effect. However, TikTok began restoring service later in the day after president-elect Donald Trump promised to work toward a solution to keep TikTok open for American users.

Question: As of January 1, 2025, which of the following accurately ranks the most downloaded apps in the world in order of popularity?

Answer: As of January 1, 2025, TikTok was the most downloaded app in history, followed by Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp.

Question: Which company owns TikTok?

Answer: Launched in 2017, TikTok is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance.

Question: Which U.S. president signed the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, dubbed the “TikTok bill”?

Answer: President Biden signed the so-called “TikTok bill” on April 24, 2024, giving TikTok’s owner 270 days to sell the app and prevent its ban in the United States.