Approximately one hundred and seventy million Americans use the social media app TikTok. Many of these Americans are growing concerned over an impending TikTok ban. So what does the future look like for TikTok?
TikTok is a social media app used all over the world that specializes in short form video content. The app provides users the opportunity to gain popularity and go “viral.” This would mean that many people are seeing, liking and commenting on the viral video and it could even become a trend with other people putting their own spin on it. The person who made the original video could then have people who know who they are, allowing them to possibly grow a wider audience and gain popularity. This can be seen with Charli D’Amelio, a famous influencer. She was someone who originally went viral off of one of her dancing videos. Due to the fact that the video went viral, more people were able to learn her name and she started to get talked about more, even being invited onto different talk shows like The Late Night Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and most recently going on Dancing with the Stars.
TikTok was previously known as Musically but was rebranded in 2016 and is now owned by the Chinese company, ByteDance. But why does this matter? There is a concern that the Chinese government could access private user data when using the app, raising concerns about the United States national security. Some government agencies even prohibit their employees and contractors from using TikTok on government-issued devices.
The United States has previously attempted to ban TikTok around the country on the basis of national security. More recently, President Biden signed a bill into law that gives ByteDance nine months to sell TikTok to a new buyer, with an additional three-month grace period, before any ban would take effect. This could mean the app would be forced to be sold or shut down in the United States by January 19th, 2025.
If a ban were to occur, the U.S. would remove the app from app stores. This would prevent new users from getting TikTok, and current users from being able to update the app.
The ban could also have an impact on the users. Many influencers and brands create short videos on TikTok to market their product to a large audience. Influencers get paid based on the number of views, and brands use the creators’ audience to showcase their product. This will shift the reliance of marketing products to other social media platforms, like Instagram and YouTube where influencers will most-likely showcase products there.
For now, there is just about a month to go before a possible decision with the so-called “impending” ban. Users should take this month to enjoy what could be the end of this popular social media platform.
