Who would’ve thought a goofy app for dance challenges and lip-syncing would spark one of the biggest debates about freedom, capitalism, and national security in modern America? Welcome to 2025, where TikTok isn’t just a time-waster for teenagers; it’s a test case for whether conservatives really believe in both free markets and strong national defense.

Half of Gen Z practically lives on TikTok. They’ll spend three hours learning a 12-second dance routine while their parents (aka the boomers) are still trying to figure out if TikTok is a clock app or a breath mint. And stuck in the middle is President Trump, who, true to form, has turned even this circus into a high-stakes deal with China. If there’s a handshake to be had, a tariff to be waved, or a clause to be added, you can bet he’s already working the room.

On the one hand, conservatives have always been the champions of free enterprise. We don’t like government telling us what to do, what to buy, or what app we’re allowed to waste an hour on before bed. The free market, after all, is what made America prosperous. Reagan called it “the magic of the marketplace,” and he wasn’t wrong. Proverbs 11:1 reminds us, “A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is his delight.” In other words: honesty, fairness, and freedom in trade aren’t just good economics; they’re biblical.

But let’s not kid ourselves: China is not the corner lemonade stand down the street. TikTok isn’t just an entertainment app; it’s a data pipeline to Beijing. Your kids may think they’re just scrolling through cat videos, but the Chinese Communist Party is happy to collect their browsing habits, preferences, and maybe even nudge their worldview in a direction that doesn’t exactly line up with “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

So, here’s the conservative dilemma: do we shrug and say “let the market decide,” even when the market is being manipulated by a hostile foreign government? Or do we accept that, yes, sometimes Uncle Sam has to play bouncer at the door, keeping bad actors from sneaking into the party?

Romans 13:4 tells us that the ruler “is the minister of God to thee for good… a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.” Government’s God-given job is to protect its people. That includes protecting them from foreign adversaries who’d love nothing more than to turn our free and open society into their playground.

But — and here’s the tricky part — where do we draw the line? If we start banning every app or company with questionable ties, we could slide into the very kind of heavy-handed government intervention conservatives usually oppose. The danger isn’t just China; it’s also our own politicians using “national security” as an excuse for power grabs. Let’s be honest: D.C. has never seen a power it didn’t want to abuse.

So maybe the solution isn’t an endless tug-of-war between total laissez-faire and outright bans. Instead, conservatives should insist on a few guiding principles:

1. Is there a clear, proven national security threat? If yes, deal with it. If not, hands off.
2. Can the threat be addressed without killing the free market? Oversight, transparency, and stricter rules may solve the problem without outright bans.
3. Does the solution strengthen American sovereignty or weaken it? If the cure is worse than the disease, it’s the wrong cure.

At the end of the day, TikTok is more than a silly app. It’s a case study in whether we can balance freedom and security without falling off the tightrope. Conservatives need to remember: the free market is a blessing, but freedom isn’t free. Sometimes the price is vigilance; and sometimes, that vigilance means telling Beijing their little spy app isn’t welcome at our party.

Meanwhile, Gen Z will just shrug, film another dance, and upload it somewhere else. Boomers will finally learn how to download TikTok just in time for it to get banned. And President Trump? Well, he’ll probably call the whole thing “the best deal anyone has ever made, maybe the biggest, most beautiful app deal in history.”