TikTok is undeniably a cultural phenomenon, with the platform having over 100 million Americans with an account, and the average user spending around 95 minutes per day. In fact, the platform’s popular short-form video style has been copied by US tech giants like Meta for Instagram and Facebook Reels, and Google with YouTube Shorts.
As the app grew, so did the scrutiny. You might have seen the viral clips of TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew, being questioned by Senator Tom Cotton about potential ties to China. Senator Cotton asked about Chew’s citizenship and affiliations with the CCP, with Chew clarifying his nationality, stating, “Senator, I’m Singaporean,” and denying any connections to the CCP.
When it comes to threats of banning the platform, TikTok’s no stranger to that. Just ask India. The app has been banned there for nearly five years following a military clash between Indian and Chinese troops.
In the US, the platform is facing a potential ban by January 19, 2025, if ByteDance, the parent company, doesn’t sell or shut down the app. TikTok has kicked against this, arguing that the ban would be an assault on the First Amendment. As expected, many of the calls for the platform’s ban come from concerns about “national security.”
TikTok collects a huge amount of data on its users, so much so that, back in 2020, the Biden administration even banned TikTok from the mobile devices of staffers.
You might have heard that there are also fears that since TikTok is owned by China, the Chinese government could just demand that TikTok hands over valuable data on American citizens, and it would have no choice but to comply.
Also, another justification for a ban from proponents is the argument that TikTok’s algorithm is very engaging, which is to be expected, given the platform’s extensive data collection, and can lead to addiction.
Earlier today, there were reports (via Bloomberg) that China was considering selling the platform’s US operations to Elon Musk if ByteDance fails to shake off the ban.
Bloomberg noted that if Musk were to acquire the US operations of the app, there would be a lot of benefits for him. For example, he owns xAI, and TikTok holds valuable data that can be used in training models.
Not long after the Bloomberg article went live, TikTok came out to deny the report, calling it “pure fiction.” A spokesperson told the BBC, “We can’t be expected to comment on pure fiction.”
All hope may not be lost for TikTok, though. Last month, President-elect Trump reportedly urged the Supreme Court to delay the enforcement of the TikTok ban.
