Lawmakers in the United States are inching closer to banning TikTok, the wildly popular video-sharing app, over national security concerns. The pressure is on for TikTok’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, to sell the platform to a US company within a year, or risk being shut down entirely.
Both the House of Representatives and the Senate have passed a bill that would force ByteDance to divest TikTok. President Biden has indicated his intention to sign the legislation into law. This move follows years of suspicion about the app’s data collection practices and potential ties to the Chinese government.
US lawmakers from both parties are concerned that the Chinese government could pressure ByteDance to hand over data on TikTok’s massive US user base, which numbers over 170 million. TikTok maintains that it would never share user data with any foreign government, but these assurances haven’t quelled anxieties.
This isn’t the first time US authorities have targeted TikTok. Former President Donald Trump attempted to ban the app in 2020, but his efforts were thwarted in court. Interestingly, Trump, now a confirmed candidate for the 2024 presidential election, has criticized the current legislation, arguing it unfairly benefits Facebook.
Even if President Biden signs the bill, a complete ban on TikTok wouldn’t happen overnight. Legal challenges from ByteDance could drag on for years, potentially reaching the Supreme Court. The legislation itself provides ByteDance with a nine-month window to find a US buyer for TikTok, with an additional three-month grace period before a ban could be implemented. This means the earliest a ban could occur would be sometime in 2025, after the next presidential election.
The most likely way a ban would be enforced is through app store removals. By removing TikTok from app stores like Apple’s App Store and Google Play, new users would be prevented from downloading the app. Existing users would still be able to access TikTok but wouldn’t receive crucial security updates or bug fixes.
The proposed ban has drawn criticism from various corners. TikTok itself has called the legislation an attack on free speech, while some content creators fear losing their platform. However, the deluge of user complaints may have backfired, with some lawmakers interpreting it as a sign of the app’s manipulative influence.
If the US ban on TikTok goes into effect, it could set a precedent for other countries. India, once a major market for TikTok, already has a ban in place. Similar restrictions exist in Iran, Nepal, Afghanistan, and Somalia. Additionally, government agencies in the UK and the European Union have barred TikTok from staff devices due to security concerns.
At the heart of TikTok’s success is its powerful algorithm. This algorithm tailors content feeds to individual users based on their past interactions with the app. This highly personalized system, critics argue, necessitates the collection of a vast amount of user data, including location, device information, and even keystroke patterns. While TikTok collects a significant amount of data, it’s worth noting that other major social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram engage in similar practices.