In the days since the US House of Representatives passed HR7521 or the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, more lovingly referred to as the “TikTok Ban,” my For You Page on the app has been full of speculations about whether or not the platform will be banned as well as pure outrage from users at the thought of the government taking away the increasingly popular social media platform. My personal favorite comment from the day was left in a comment (that I now cannot find) that read “first they take our bread and now they come for our circus?” The commenter’s ties to Roman poets and their recommendations for democracy may be questionable, but it does raise the question of why this is such a central issue for the US House. Amid governmental stallings and partisan conflict for critical issues, with the budget decisions nearly causing a government shutdown, and taking three whole weeks to elect a new speaker, the House passed the Tiktok Ban in a mere eight days. The ban has bipartisan support, a rare sight in the politics of the 2010’s and 20’s. Why is TikTok so important to our politicians?
The bill itself is relatively simple—if enacted, ByteDance, the owning company of TikTok, would be forced to either to sell the app to a US buyer or have its platform barred from the US, making the distribution and updating of the app illegal for companies like Apple and Google via their app stores. TikTok is the only platform currently affected, but any new platforms from ByteDance or entirely different companies involved with “foreign adversaries” could become involved with the bill at presidential discretion. The bill comes from worries that ByteDance would sell data to the Chinese government, putting American data at risk due to Chinese national security laws. The company has repeatedly denied allegations of any sale and maintains they would not engage if asked. Additionally, sponsor of the bill Mike Gallagher (R-WI-8) claims that the app’s algorithm could be used to spread Chinese propaganda towards American users. This all comes on the heels of congressional hearings with TikTok CEO Shou Chew as part of user safety where Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) repeatedly questioned him about Chinese citizenship or ties, which has gone quite viral within the platform. TikTok continues to vehemently deny a lack of concerns for user safety, noting their “Project Texas” initiative started in 2022 to protect US users by moving their data to Oracle servers in the US. They claim to have never been asked, let alone sold, US data to the Chinese government. They also cite their board, hosting three Americans amongst five total, and a 60% ownership by global investors as evidence of a lack of support for the Chinese government.
What will ByteDance do if the bill becomes law? Whether a sale is likely can be called into question. There are very few potential buyers—Tiktok would be a massive sale and the sale would have to be to US approved buyers. Additionally, Tiktok served a total of 1.92 billion users in 2023, with only 170 million US users. That’s a little over ten percent of their user base. Were they to sell the platform, even just a US portion, would create complications for international users. It’s possible that if this bill were to become law, US users would be preparing to say goodbye to TikTok in six months. The Biden administration has already stated they will be signing the bill into law and has begun putting pressure on the Senate to decide. The bill is stalled in the Senate, currently awaiting its fate.
This is not the first time there have been claims from the US government to ban TikTok, but it is the farthest a ban has gotten. In 2020, former President Donald Trump attempted to ban the platform via executive order barring US entities’ interaction with ByteDance. The former president has now switched his stance; he’s against the current TikTok ban. He claims that losing the platform will draw users towards Facebook, which he has taken a distinct stand against. So while the threat of TikTok being taken away has been toyed in the face of users in the past, it appears the government means business now.
Concern over privacy has only gotten higher in recent years. Apps store incredible amounts of data about their users. There is fear over TikTok’s well known For You Page algorithm—that it’s scarily good. The app is definitely addictive, as I’ve noticed in my own use. The platform allows users to scroll endlessly. Until you close the app, TikTok will continue to satisfy the need for newer content. Based on what you like, comment, share, or the amount of time you watch their content, it recommends videos that it believes you will like more. It is scary. It takes mere minutes to find a niche or learn every detail about something you never would’ve before. Emerging from the pandemic as a primary source of entertainment and information, TikTok as a platform has power. Its lifespan, in relation to other social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, or X, is short. And now it seems that its life may be cut even shorter, at least in the United States.
American TikTok users now await the Senate’s decision on TikTok, which could take quite some time. In the face of a ban, it is entirely possible that a new platform will emerge—as Vine fell into Musically which in turn fell into TikTok—under a different company and leadership. Users on the platform will continue to create content and find ways to save their old content. I, for one, will miss the comments under my sole viral video and sending particularly funny videos to friends. Until we have a decision, I’m certain the circus will keep rolling on. The elephants will dazzle us, the dancers will dance, and the tent flaps will be open twenty-four hours a day seven days a week. Perhaps the app will shutter its doors in the face of blow back; until then, welcome to the greatest show. What happens when they take the circus? I’m not sure the Romans were too prepared to guide us on that.
Sources:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7wfGQeKtsI
https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/7521/text?s=4&r=1
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/13/technology/tiktok-ban-law-congress.html
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tiktok-ban-go-into-effect-senate/
