A new bill to ban TikTok in the U.S. is one step closer to going into effect.
Back in 2016, a new social media app was created that allowed users to create and watch short-form videos but it really took off pre-pandemic in 2019. TikTok quickly and continuously grew into one of the most popular apps we know today. According to Business of Apps, “it was downloaded 693 million times in 2019 and 850 million times in 2020.”
Content on TikTok can range from dance videos to cooking tutorials, from pranks to life advice. What pops up on your feed or your “for you page” is up to your likes and searches. From there the algorithm takes charge, which is where the problem starts, not only with consumers but with the U.S. government.
TikTok is a product of the company ByteDance, which is based in Beijing, China. The U.S. government’s fear is that Chinese government surveillance will use and collect data from American users. AP explains that “The worry stems from a set of Chinese national security laws that compel organizations to assist with intelligence gathering— which ByteDance would likely be subject to— and other far-reaching ways the country’s authoritarian government exercises control.”
Users rushed to the app to express their feelings about the potential ban. CNN reports that Tiktok called the legislation, “an attack on the constitutional right to freedom of expression for its users. It launched a call-to-action campaign within the app, urging users to call representatives in Washington to oppose the bill.”
Shou Zi Chew, TikTok’s CEO, explained in the initial hearing that TikTok has never taken user data nor has it given information on its users to any country. Shou posted a TikTok to the main TikTok profile sharing his disappointing thoughts.
He gave multiple reasons as to why a ban is bad for American businesses and the app’s users saying “It will also take billions of dollars out of the pockets of creators and small businesses. It will put more than 300,000 American jobs at risk and it will take away your TikTok…Our platform matters to the small business owners who rely on TikTok to meet ends meet, to the teachers who inspire millions of students to learn and to everyone who discovers and finds joy on TikTok.”
In order to go into effect, the bill has to go through three stages. The first stage already happened on March 13th when the House of Representatives voted 352-65 to put the bill in motion. Next, it will go to the Senate and on to the president’s desk. President Joe Biden has already expressed his approval of a TikTok ban saying “If they pass it, I’ll sign it.”
Biden isn’t the only president who endorsed a TikTok ban. AP reminds readers that back in 2020, during the peak of TikTok’s popularity, former President Donald Trump tried to ban the app but was unsuccessful.
There is some confusion as to how the ban will happen. If the bill is passed, ByteDance would have to sell TikTok to a buyer within 180 days, which would stop the ban. However, if they do not sell, the ban will hand out some hefty fines. App stores that allow downloads will be charged $5000 per download and providers who allow users to access the app will be fined $500 per user.
When Trump initially tried to ban TikTok, Oracle and Walmart were big contenders to buy the app but ultimately fell out of contention. Now, according to ABC, Meta, Amazon or Google seem to be interested buyers in monopolizing the social media board but what’s stopping them is a lot of government red tape.
Kevin O’Leary, star of Shark Tank, told Fox & Friends, “If this order goes through, it’s got to be sold. I’m going to put up my hand and say I’ll buy it…What I’m proposing is purchasing these assets into a new American company. I’ll guarantee the servers are on American soil. I’ll guarantee you will close the Chinese back doors in the code. I’ll guarantee it becomes safe for the users, the parents, small business and large business,’ he continued. ‘It’ll be an American company.” Everything the government wants to hear, O’Leary has planned out.
Since TikTok has been the go-to platform for entertainment for five years, what’s the best fix if it gets banned? Currently, instead of using TikTok, people have been using YouTube shorts, Instagram Reels or Triller, an app that was created back when Trump was trying to ban TikTok.
TikTok sent its users a notification asking them to call their respective state Senator and explain to them “how important TikTok is for inspiration and connection[s] you have with your community. Ask them to vote no on the TikTok ban.” Additionally, influencers who have a large following are asking followers to reach out to their Senators to vote no.