The U.S. Supreme Court is considering banning the popular social media platform TikTok for national security concerns. The court has directed TikTok’s Chinese parent ByteDance to divest its U.S. operations by January 19, 2025, or else face a ban. The fate of TikTok and its American audience hangs in a delicate balance as the deadline approaches near. Here is comprehensive information on this case.
Background
The controversy over the TikTok ban began in August 2020 when then-President Donald Trump signed an executive order for the ban. The context was that TikTok could be sharing its data on American citizens with Chinese authorities. It was a national security risk.
Two years later in December 2022, President Joe Biden approved the prohibition of TikTok on federal devices. In March 2024, he signed legislation requiring ByteDance to sell TikTok or face a nationwide ban by January 19, 2025.
The social media platform could face a complete shutdown if the Supreme Court approves the law’s constitutionality banning TikTok. The U.S. internet hosting services and app stores could bear legal consequences if they distribute TikTok content after the ban.
TikTok appealed to the Supreme Court in December 2024 to lift the ban. It argued that the law violates the free speech protections of U.S. citizens under the First Amendment of the country’s constitution.
Implications for Users
U.S. has 170 million users on TikTok. One-third of U.S. adults and 63% of U.S. teens aged 13-17 use the popular social media platform TikTok. The ban will make it difficult for users to access the app. They may face technical issues such as slow processing, bugs, or frequent crashes. The app may disappear from Google Play and Apple Store making it impossible for the new user to download it. The app will degrade and become unusable eventually without a lack of support services.
Implications for TikTok Influencers/Content Creators
A TikTok influencer earns an average annual pay of $131,874. The ban would result in the discontinuation of an income stream for content creators. They will lose their data, followers, and engagement. They may have to rebuild their online community or consider new monetization options by transitioning to new social media platforms.
While creators have been preparing themselves for the change, they oppose the ban. Several creators have expressed their nervousness and anger over the ban.
Implications for TikTok Employees
TikTok has 7000 employees in the U.S. They face the risk of job loss if TikTok decides to withdraw its operations instead of selling it to other companies. Alternatively, they may get laid off by the company which buys TikTok.
TikTok leadership has assured its employees about the security of their employment, payment, and benefits even if the situation remains unresolved before the January 19 deadline.
Public Opinion
A 2024 survey shows that 50% of Americans supported the TikTok ban in March 2023. The number reduced to 32% in July-Aug’24. According to another study, 50% of parents opine that the ban would enhance children’s safety online.
Political Appeal to Extend the Deadline
Given that the ban could deteriorate geopolitical conflict between the U.S. and China, lawmakers have urged the Supreme Court to delay the deadline. President-elect Donald Trump sought to find a political resolution to the matter after he took office.
Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass announced his plan to introduce the legislation to postpone the deadline by 270 days. He has also joined other lawmakers who believe that less drastic measures are available to protect data privacy without violating constitutional rights. They also emphasized that the ban infringes on the free speech of Americans.
It is predicted that Joe Biden may increase the deadline under one condition. He would need to certify that ByteDance is working towards a divestiture.
Potential Buyers
There are speculations regarding buyers interested in taking over TikTok’s U.S. operations. Elon Musk has emerged as one of the potential buyers. Donald Trump can rope him into the discussion with the Chinese officials.
Frank McCourt, the man behind Project Liberty (an initiative to decentralize the internet) and ‘Shark Tank’ reality series host Kevin O’Leary made a formal offer to ByteDance for TikTok acquisition.
YouTube creator James “Jimmy” Donaldson aka MrBeast also offered to buy TikTok in a tweet on social networking platform X. He claimed several billionaires approached him after the tweet.
Kotick, the former CEO of video game publisher Activision, claims to have had a discussion with ByteDance founder Zhang Yiming about a buyout.
The names of Walmart, Microsoft, and Oracle are also being tossed around as potential buyers.
Users Consider Alternatives
With the January 19 deadline looming, TikTok users are exploring alternatives to work around the ban apart from migrating to other social media platforms.
One alternative is bypassing the ban through Virtual Private Network (VPN). VPN may enable users to set their location outside the U.S. and disguise it. However, a VPN could have its drawbacks. For example, the government may block VPNs or its use may lead to buggy connections. Fraud VPN companies may take undue advantage of users.
The Chinese social media app RedNote (Xiaohongshu) has surfaced as another alternative. More than 700,000 new users joined RedNote. ByteDance’s other social media app Lemon 8 also witnessed a surge in downloads.
TikTok and its users await the decision on the ban with a bated breath.
