The much-debated topic of whether the hugely popular social media app, TikTok, will be banned in the United States has been a buzz in recent times. The app, which is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance and known for its short-form videos, has come under fire due to various perceived security and privacy issues.
The Trump Administration has made several attempts to push to ban the app, citing security and privacy issues as the reason. The US government is particularly concerned about the Chinese government gaining access to user data and the app’s influence on the American youth. However, experts have also noted that if TikTok is banned, it could set a dangerous precedent for censorship and hamper the freedom of speech in the US.
Concerns about a potential ban have grown after the Trump Administration issued an executive order in August 2020, giving ByteDance 90 days to divest from the app or face a ban. Now, with the deadline ticking, the fate of the app hangs in the balance.
If the app is banned, it would likely be done using the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), which was used to ban Huawei from the US in 2019. Under this Act, the US government can ban or restrict the use of an app or website within the US. For example, the US government already has the power to block access to specific websites on the web, and it could use the same powers to block access to TikTok.
In such a scenario, users in the US may not be able to access the app or download it from app stores, and the app’s revenue would be significantly impacted. It could also have a ripple effect on other Chinese-owned companies, and could lead the US to make use of similar measures to limit the use of other Chinese apps.
So far, the debates around the potential ban of the app in the US has been highly polarized, and it remains to be seen how this will pan out. However, what is certain is that if the app is banned, it could have a profound impact on the way people use social media in the US.
