TikTok Ban?! TikTok, the king of social media that taught us the importance of properly syncing dance moves and cooking pasta according to 60 Seconds recipes, is on the verge of disappearing from the American digital space. The US has decided to take drastic action against the Chinese app due to alleged security risks, but the consequences of this will go far beyond the borders of a single country. Is this the beginning of a new era of digital sovereignty or the beginning of a fragmented internet?
TikTok Ban?! The Story of TikTok and Its American The drama is not new. Back in 2020, the Donald Trump administration tried to wrest the app from the hands of the Chinese company ByteDance. At the time, the arguments revolved around ByteDance’s alleged connection to the Chinese government, which allegedly made the app a national security risk. The drama temporarily subsided, but in April 2024, President Joe Biden signed a bill that gave TikTok an ultimatum: Either ByteDance sells the app’s US operations or the app will be banned on US soil.
And now, on January 19, 2025, we are on the brink of reality where American users may no longer be able to download the app that took the world by storm.
National security or political game?
The justification for the ban? National security, of course. The US government claims that Chinese authorities could force ByteDance to hand over data on American users or use algorithms to influence public opinion. This fear may not be entirely unfounded, given the revelations about data practices at other tech giants, but the irony is obvious – do we really want to discuss data privacy in a country where Facebook, Google and the NSA are synonymous with mass surveillance?
Still, the government's key argument is clear: it's not that TikTok is necessarily to blame, but that there is a potential risk. It's like banning a fishing net because there's a chance you'll catch a dolphin with it. Or is it?
TikTok ban
A blow to creators: Will dance creators find a new stage?
TikTok isn’t just an app—it’s a cultural phenomenon. It has over 170 million users in the U.S., millions of whom are creatives who have built their careers (and bank accounts) on the platform. It’s not just a place to have fun, it’s a business tool where small businesses advertise products, musicians release hits, and politicians reach out to young voters.
For many content creators, a TikTok ban would be the equivalent of destroying the store they relied on. Sure, they're already rushing to alternatives like Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and even the somewhat forgotten Snapchat, but no platform currently offers the same combination of algorithmic "magic" and global reach that TikTok has.
Technical implications: The end of updates and the beginning of problems
If the ban is upheld, it doesn't mean TikTok will disappear from your phone (at least not immediately). But it will no longer be available for download from Apple's App Store and Google Play, and no updates will be available.
What does this mean for users? Without updates, the app starts to accumulate technical debt – security vulnerabilities, performance degradation, and ultimately obsolescence. Add to that the blockade of the US servers where TikTok stores data, and it’s only a matter of time before the app becomes completely unusable.
Global implications: Internet fragmentation as a new reality?
The US is not the first country to declare war on TikTok. India banned it in 2020, with a number of local apps taking its place. But the US is a different story. As one of the world’s biggest tech superpowers, its move could create a domino effect – or even divide the internet into geopolitical zones.
Who wins everything? (Hint: Meta has probably already opened the champagne)
Of course, the TikTok ban isn't necessarily bad news for everyone. Meta (owner of Instagram and Facebook) and Google (with YouTube) are already seeing an increase in creators seeking out new platforms. Their algorithms are hungry for new content, and content creators accustomed to TikTok's viral recipes will quickly find new ways to capitalize on these alternatives.
But the question remains – will these platforms be able to fill the void left by TikTok? And can they ever achieve the same level of cultural influence?
Privacy and irony in the struggle for control
Ultimately, there is a clear irony in this story. The TikTok ban is justified by protecting American privacy, but at the same time, this same government (and the corporations that often side with it) has been exploiting its own citizens’ personal data for decades. Is this a fight for privacy or just another geopolitical chess game?
Trump's maneuver: compromise instead of ban?
US President-elect Donald Trump, who will take office again on January 20, 2025, appears to be leaning toward a more pragmatic approach to banning TikTok. Rather than a complete block that would remove the app from the US digital landscape, his administration is exploring options for a compromise that would address security concerns without causing complete chaos among creators and the companies that depend on the platform.
According to American media reports, such as Politics and Axios, Trump's advisers are considering imposing stricter regulatory requirements on foreign apps. One proposed solution involves establishing a US-China partnership, under which TikTok could continue to operate but US user data would have to remain stored exclusively on US servers. This would be a similar deal to one TikTok tried to strike in 2020, when it almost reached an agreement with Oracle and Walmart over US ownership of its data and infrastructure.
In addition, the Trump team is considering creating a special regulatory framework that would require all foreign-owned apps operating in the U.S. to comply with U.S. privacy and data control rules. This would include regular security reviews and strict transparency about how algorithms work, which could reduce fears of political manipulation of content or surveillance by foreign governments.
Trump’s approach is likely to be more politically palatable to both sides. While it would show the Republican Party’s determination to protect national security, it would avoid the complete chaos that an immediate ban would cause, especially for the millions of users and businesses that rely on TikTok. But the question remains whether this solution will be enough to dispel the doubts of the US Congress and other critics who are calling for the complete removal of Chinese influence from the US digital ecosystem.
Trump's potential compromise opens the door to a new regulatory model that could go beyond TikTok and shape the future relationship between the US government and foreign tech giants. But whether these proposals will be acceptable to China, which sees TikTok as an important technology asset, and whether US lawmakers will be willing to give in remains an open question that will determine the future of the popular app.
Conclusion: TikTok as the beginning of a new digital era?
The US ban on TikTok is not just a national security issue, but a symptom of a larger story – one about how we will govern the internet, data and the power of tech giants in the future. Is this the beginning of a new era of digital sovereignty, where each nation creates its own digital “fences”? Or is it a warning that the internet as we know it could disintegrate into an endless series of closed ecosystems?
If TikTok is just the first domino, the future of the digital landscape may look very different. But one thing is certain – the winners will be those who are the first to conquer the new reality. The only question is whether we are ready for it.
