Is TikTok being banned in the US? Here’s everything you need to know
TikTok, the video-sharing app that became overwhelmingly popular during 2020 lockdowns, is facing issues following allegations that its parent company is allowing the Chinese government to see user’s data.
The US prohibits this and has threatened to ban TikTok in the country if ByteDance do not sell the app to another vendor.
These threats aren’t new – they’ve been going on since the app was made immensely popular in 2020. But it seems like they’re going further than previously this time. 
So what’s actually going on, and could TikTok really be banned? We’re breaking it all down!
Why is there talk of TikTok being banned?
Quite simply, there is talk of TikTok being banned because the wheels are already in motion – but that doesn’t mean that it will be banned just yet.
The proposed TikTok ban in the US revolves around concerns related to national security and data privacy. US officials argue that TikTok, which is owned by Chinese company ByteDance, could potentially share user data with the Chinese government or propagate misinformation.
These concerns stem from laws in China that might compel Chinese companies to cooperate with the government on data sharing or intelligence work.
The US and China don’t have the most cordial of relations, so it’s unsurprising that the US doesn’t want the government to see their user data. However, they don’t have any evidence so far to suggest that ByteDance has actually shared any data with the government.
What is the current situation?
The House of Representatives in the US has passed a bill that gives ByteDance six months to sell TikTok, or they face being banned in the country.
However, the bill still needs to pass the Senate to become law – it would then need to be signed by President Biden (who has stated that he would support it).
This isn’t a blanket ban and it still has a few steps to go through, but it’s thought that ByteDance would understandably be reluctant to sell TikTok; and it poses ethical questions about whether such a bill is even legal, as it’s implied that TikTok would be sold to a US company.
Where is TikTok banned?
TikTok is already banned in the following places:
- Afghanistan
- Nepal
- India
- Somalia
It’s also banned on government devices in many countries, particularly those in Europe and North America.
There was talk of the US state of Montana banning TikTok, but this has subsequently been deemed unlawful as it’s not in line with freedom of speech and has been blocked.
Current regulations on TikTok in the US
TikTok has always had quite a lot of regulations in the US. So while plenty of states, including North Carolina, have banned TikTok on government devices, things like gambling and explicit content are regulated; a government worker wouldn’t be able to watch content about the NC lottery on their work device even if it was allowed!
Issues with the ban
There are a few issues with a blanket ban on TikTok in the US. They include:
- Freedom of speech: The US is a country that prides itself on its freedom of speech, and getting rid of an app where people can express themselves contradicts this.
- Damaging small businesses: Many small businesses and content creators make a lot of money on TikTok. Taking this social media away could cause them to lose their income and subsequently hurt the local economy. Many small businesses and creators have protested the ban.
- Interrupting the advertising economy: While this currently only affects people in the US, it could interrupt how TikTok is used, especially because the US is the country in the world that spends the most on advertising.
- Other countries may follow suit: If the US goes ahead with the ban, there’s a chance that Canada, nations in Europe and elsewhere in the world may consider their own policies around TikTok and potentially also ban it.
Is ByteDance likely to sell?
There’s a lot of conflicting information about whether ByteDance would be willing to sell and at the moment, it’s unsure what will happen.
The company will certainly lose a lot of money without the US market, making TikTok a less profitable company to hold onto. In this regard, it seems to make sense for ByteDance to sell the platform.
However, they’re likely to meet resistance from the Chinese government before doing so.
If the Chinese government were to change their privacy laws surrounding apps or TikTok could tighten up the way it stores user information, perhaps a compromise could be met; but at the moment, this looks unlikely.
So, is TikTok being banned?
At the moment it could go either way. TikTok may be banned if ByteDance does not sell the platform six months after the bill is signed, but at the moment the bill is still going through the Senate. It certainly opens up a conversation about data privacy and how much we share online.
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