Yesterday, a United States federal appeals court panel upheld the US government’s decision to ban TikTok. But why has the U.S. federal government taken this step, and what does this mean for both users and creators of TikTok in Ireland?
Why is the U.S. Trying to Ban TikTok?
At the heart of the controversy is the concern that TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, is accountable to the Chinese government. U.S. lawmakers have said this could potentially lead to the app gathering sensitive information on American citizens. The U.S. government has cited the risk of data theft and manipulation by a foreign adversary as the primary reason for the ban.
Others argue that this concern is overstated, pointing out that American companies like Meta and Google also collect vast amounts of user data, which can be used for nefarious purposes.
The situation greatly echoes the situation Huawei found itself in when Donald Trump banned the Chinese-owned smartphone maker in 2019. That decision was partly rooted in legitimate concerns of an opposing world power potentially using Huawei to spy, but also more than a little xenophobia.
The impact of that Huawei ban was massive, effectively wiping the phone maker out of the Irish market and leaving little trace behind, at least for consumers. I don’t expect the same level of devastation for TikTok, even if we stay on this path.
When Will Tiktok Be Banned in the U.S.?
Should everything remain on track, TikTok will be removed from app stores in the U.S. from 19th January 2025. Whether or not this does stay on track has a massive question mark hanging over it.
In a massive swing of irony, President-elect Donald Trump is set to return for a second term just one day after this ban comes into effect—a ban signed in by Trump’s adversary, Joe Biden. On the campaign trail, Trump claimed he would work to “save” TikTok should he be reelected, though this could very well just have been an attempt to save the young vote.
TikTok spokesperson Michael Hughes said unless the ban is stopped somehow, it “will silence the voices of over 170 million Americans here in the US and around the world”.
Will TikTok Be Banned in January?
There are a few outcomes in January for this story, and one of them is that everything remains on track and the platform is banned in the U.S.
However, I would wager that one of many other eventualities also plays out.
TikTok Appeals
TikTok plans to challenge the ban by appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court and seeking an injunction to halt the ban’s implementation. The company argues that the law infringes upon First Amendment rights and lacks substantial evidence of national security threats.
Should an appeal to buy time be successful, the platform at least moves into Trump’s second time in office and that of a President who said he would “save” the platform.
Political Intervention
President-elect Donald Trump has expressed intentions to “save” TikTok, suggesting he might seek to reverse the ban upon taking office. This could involve urging Congress to repeal the law or determining that TikTok is no longer under Chinese control, thereby nullifying the ban.
However, this would face significant legal and political challenges, while also being somewhat off-brand for President-elect Trump.
Sale of TikTok
One solution which already reached the advanced stages and failed was ByteDance selling TikTok’s U.S. operations to a non-Chinese entity. Efforts have restarted again as a potential solution to stop the ban of TikTok, but these efforts are complicated due to China’s export control laws, which could hinder the transfer of TikTok’s technology.
Operational Adjustments
ByteDance is reportedly developing a U.S.-based version of TikTok’s core recommendation algorithm. This move aims to address data security concerns and facilitate a smoother transition if a sale occurs.
I’d wager that sale is still a priority given anything developed by a Chinese-owned company will do little to allay concerns.
Will TikTok Still Work After the Ban?
These are the most important details which often don’t get much attention in a situation like this. TikTok being removed from app stores will do little to stop the app from working on phones with it already installed. However, if you buy a new phone, installing on an iPhone would be much more difficult.
Android users wouldn’t face the same challenges, with sideloading a relatively easy operation to carry out yourself. Sideloading is technically possible for some iPhone users, but this is a Europe-only feature.
The ban does include other provisions to stop TikTok from working in the U.S., including web-hosting services stopping TikTok and potentially forcing internet providers to block all TikTok traffic. This final step is the one I imagine will have to happen to truly stop the app from working, but even so VPN providers will offer a sidestep option here.
However, stopping it from working completely and making it so un-userfriendly it slowly dies off are two different things. The latter could be enough.
Some creators on TikTok are already preparing for an all-out ban, directing followers to other channels where they can still get content, such as the U.S.-based Meta Instagram or Alphabet (Google) YouTube.
Is a TikTok Ban Warranted?
Ok, over to my personal opinion for a second. I’m a little torn on this because I don’t think anyone has the right intentions with any actions being taken.
First of all, I see the merits of banning TikTok. Some research has found that TikTok actively suppresses content critical of the Chinese Government.
My personal experience on the platform is mixed. As a brand, it’s a great way to reach people and countless creators around the world and here in Ireland make a living based on their followership on TikTok.
But the content moderation is wholly unfit for purpose. I’ve spent a lot of time reporting racist, misogynistic, homophobic and transphobic content with clear reference to TikTok’s own community policies, only for the vast majority of these reports to be ignored.
I have suspicions that the platform surfaces comments designed to stoke flames of hate and question what our own Irish Government is doing to ensure the people have the tools needed to handle this.
Obviously, I have no idea what goes on in the background of TikTok’s operations, but I do see pros and cons of a TikTok ban. And that ban will have mixed impacts here in Ireland.
Impact of U.S. Ban on Irish TikTok Creators and Users
Unlike the Huawei ban, I don’t see the U.S. going ahead with a ban on TikTok as a massive cause for concern if you are an Irish TikTok creator that mainly targets people living here in Ireland, the United Kingdom or mainland Europe. The app will continue to function perfectly for us as if nothing has happened.
I would expect to see some opportunities arise for Irish creators as a massive gulf in content appears from the slow departure of U.S.-based creators.
Which is where the biggest impact would be seen. Every day TikTok users will, over time, cease to see U.S.-based creators and brands on TikTok. Again, this is hard to predict in terms of how quickly that will happen. Many creators will likely try to continue working on the app with VPNs and similar, while brands could move their content posting to international bases in an extremely sustainable move.
But I expect, over time, most indie TikTok creators from the U.S. would vanish from the platform over time, leading to that gulf in content I mentioned.
The good news for Irish creators is that this is a moment of opportunity. The bad news is that there is a risk that Irish users level the platform too, missing their U.S. content creators. And let’s not forget there could at some stage be similar sanctions on TikTok from the European Union.
What Happens Next With TikTok Ban?
For now, we sit tight and see what happens. I don’t see this as being a clear-cut ban. Not in the slightest. But it has travelled much further down the road than man expected and doesn’t show any signs of letting up. TikTok could very well cease U.S. operations in early 2025, or indeed later in the year.
But for now, just keep dancing and enjoying trends. And give Goosed a follow over there while you’re at it, just in case it sticks around for a while.
This article was created with the support of Goosed.ie’s in-house AI-assisted writing tool, designed to aid our writers, not replace them. While the tool offers outlines and context, all content is crafted and edited by the Goosed team.
