In a significant move that could give a new direction to the American social media landscape, TikTok faces a potential ban in the US if its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, does not sell the platform.
The Impact of TikTok Ban in the US
The ban will completely transform how US people create, consume, and share digital content over the coming year, including the technical implications for daily users and significant shifts in the social media power dynamic.
This ban stems from the bipartisan law passed by Congress in April this year and signed by President Joe Biden, giving TikTok’s parent company nine months to find a U.S.-approved buyer or be ready to get shut down. As shared by the U.S. Justice Department, TikTok is an immense threat to national security. Government agencies and security forces are worried that ByteDance could be pressured to share American user data with the Chinese government. Although TikTok and ByDance have firmly denied it.
The Key Reasons Behind the TikTok Ban
Data privacy and algorithmic content delivery are the key reasons at the heart of the TikTok controversy. Like other popular social sites, TikTok actively utilizes user data in order to empower its content suggestion system. However, the exact nature of its data collection activities has become a key point throughout the debate over its future in the US.
Government agencies across the world have already shown their concern over the wariness of TikTok, and issues regarding its data practices have pushed major institutions to take strict actions. Two years ago, in 2023, the British government and the European Commission decided to restrict the use of TikTok by the company due to security reasons.
If we see it from a business and revenue perspective, the stakes are quite high. The ad revenue of TikTok in the US is expected to cross $11 billion in 2024. While seeing the condition of the ban, the parent company has just one option: to sell the company. Many potential buyers are coming to forget, including Frank McCourt, the former owner of the Los Angeles Dodger. He claims that he has secured $20 billion in verbal commitments from investors. As per the reports published in The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg, China officials are thinking of selling TikTok to Elon Musk.
However, the parent company ByteDance maintains that a sale is not possible and any potential sale will first need approval from Chinese officials.
The possibility of a TikTok ban brings significant implications beyond the US borders. India’s TikTok ban provides a precedent; the platform was similarly very popular before being outlawed. The effects of this ban rippled through the digital ecosystem in India; it forced content creators and users to rapidly adapt to the change. The same kinds of responses have been noticed on smaller scales in nations like Nepal, Iran, Afghanistan, and Somalia.
The Immediate Impact After the Ban
After TikTok is banned in the US, it would create a cascading effect instead of an instant shutdown. The most immediate impact obviously would be the removal of TikTok from official app stores. Later, the law would prohibit the distribution, maintenance, and updating of TikTok by any entity in the US companies.
New users who do not have the TikTok apps installed on their device during the ban could also theoretically sideload. This approach does not bring significant security risks, exposing users to malicious software. The iPhone user would have an even bigger challenge—they will have to jailbreak their devices. It is a complex process that also raises major security and warranty concerns.
The Notable Alternative
The nationwide ban on TikTok in the US provides a digital platform, increasing intriguing quotes, present dynamics, intriguing questions, and the impact of social media.
At this moment, Meta’s Instagram Reel stepped in with great structural advantages. Meta has established a solid ecosystem in the US with more than 3 billion users across its family of apps. Meta’s established structure provides unparalleled reach to content creators and influencers.
What Happens Next?
If TikTok is banned, the platform will have to shut off its app for the users of the US that day. Some users might think of looking for alternative options, like using a virtual private network or VPN set to a location out of the US to continue using the app. But when it comes to security, these options may make the situation worse. If you do not update your app, the security patches included in the software update will not be in your account, hence you may be vulnerable.
Summing Up
Overall, if TikTok, as its lawyer told the cut it would if the law is not blocked, content creators and influencers will have to move to the alternative platform that has to compete with the app by launching features focused on sharing short-form videos like Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts.
