Time is Ticking: TikTok Set to Be Banned on January 19th
Solen Feyissa, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
The clock is ticking. On January 19th, a ban on TikTok in the United States is set to take effect, unless the app is divested from its China-based owner, ByteDance, to a US-based company.
During a recent Supreme Court Ruling, Justices were inclined to uphold the law that would ban the platform, despite TikTok's oral arguments claiming First Amendment rights protection. The ban would take place the day before President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration. He polled very well when it came to the younger generation, so attempting to stop this ban is something Trump has been pursuing. TikTok has been one of the top social media platforms over the last five years, so this impending ban may leave millions of users without a social home.
The app has over 170 million American users and roughly seven million of those users utilize the platform for business reasons.
Here are some of the things that could happen:
The law banning TikTok, The Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Control Application Act, would not entirely erase TikTok. Instead, it would target third-party companies that are vital to maintaining TikTok's digital infrastructures, such as potential app stores and various hosting companies.
The law that the Supreme Court is imposing requires app stores like those run by Apple and Google to remove TikTok from the app store and prohibit users in the US from downloading the app. Those who have downloaded TikTok on their phones prior to the ban on January 19th will still have access to the app, but will not be able to update the software.
TikTok is a very sophisticated platform and updates video analytics such as likes, comments, and shares every 24 hours, and the app itself updates around twice a week often to fix bugs and add additional features. If these updates aren't allowed to occur, the app will have more bugs and delayed video times, and the quality of the app will essentially disintegrate.
Another big question is where will all of the influencers and people with millions of followers take their following and endorsements. In order to brace themselves for a country without TikTok, the app's most popular creators are taking their following not only to already established platforms like Instagram, but also to new and emerging ones such as Rednote.
Rednote is known as China's version of Instagram. The app has a Pinterest layout with a video component, as well as livestreaming and shoppability features. The app is owned by a Chinese company called Xingyin Information Technology, which launched in 2013. It is drawing a lot of attention due to its similarity to TikTok.
The countdown to TikTok's potential demise in the United States has sparked a whirlwind of uncertainty, creativity, and controversy. As millions of users brace for what could be the end of an era, the question lingers: Is this truly the final curtain call for TikTok, or just the opening act in a new chapter of social media? One thing is certain; whether it's Rednote, Instagram, or another social media platform that we haven't heard of yet, creators and businesses will continue to adapt and find new ways to connect.
By Avner Belsky