TikTok’s Uncertain Fate in the US
The popular Chinese app TikTok has come under fire in the United States, with a measure to outlaw the app winning congressional approval. The measure gives ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, nine months to sell the app, and three more if a sale is underway. If this does not happen, TikTok will be banned. It would take at least a year before a ban goes into effect, but with likely court challenges, it could stretch longer.
India’s Swift Ban on TikTok
In India, the ban on TikTok in 2020 was swift and decisive. TikTok and other Chinese companies were given a short period of time to respond to questions on privacy and security, and by January 2021, the ban became permanent. The ban drew widespread support in India, where protests had been calling for a boycott of Chinese goods since a deadly confrontation on the India-China border.
Impact on Users and Creators
At the time of the ban in India, the country had about 200 million TikTok users, the most outside of China. The ban left users and content creators looking for new platforms. Within months, Google rolled out YouTube Shorts and Instagram pushed out its Reels feature, both of which mimicked the short-form video creation that TikTok had excelled at.
While some users and creators migrated to these platforms, the experience was not always the same. Many found that they had to rebuild their followings and the engagement was not as high as it had been on TikTok.
National Security Concerns
Both India and the US have cited national security concerns as a reason for their bans on TikTok. Chinese apps are required by law to cooperate with the Chinese government, raising concerns about the potential for data sharing and surveillance. As Chinese apps proliferate across the world, experts say that countries need to assess their dependency on China and develop a way to reduce it.
The app is also banned in Pakistan, Nepal, and Afghanistan and restricted in many countries in Europe. As the global landscape continues to shift, the future of TikTok and other Chinese apps remains uncertain.
