Is TikTok being banned in the US?

The ground-breaking news that’s rocked the world of social media in 2024 is that the United States government is trying to ban TikTok in their country.

According to Statista, there are more than 121 million unique TikTok users per month in the United States of America. They’re the second-most represented country on the platform, behind Indonesia (127 million), but the US Senate is determined to ban TikTok in their country.

But, why is the American government trying to enforce a TikTok ban, and what could happen if it goes through?

Continue reading below to discover the latest on the TikTok ban.

Why is the US government trying to ban TikTok?

This story has been rumbling on in America since 2020 when Donald Trump was President. Then leader of the country, the Trump administration was keen to pass legislation banning TikTok due to national security concerns about the Chinese government. However, the 2024 presidential candidate has criticised the new legislation signed by President Joe Biden as he now believes limiting TikTok would unfairly benefit Facebook.

US officials believe TikTok poses a national security threat, with concerns that the Chinese government could force TikTok owners, ByteDance, to hand over precious American user data.

In April, the American House of Representatives, together with the Senate, agreed to a $95bn foreign aid package with funds for Ukraine, which also includes a bill trying to push through a forced sale of TikTok.

The bill will ban TikTok in America if the Chinese company, ByteDance, does not sell the platform within a year.

How has TikTok responded?

Well, TikTok has responded as expected, sending a legal challenge back to the US federal government, per The Verge. They believe the TikTok bill is “unconstitutional” and “subjects a single, named speech platform to a permanent, nationwide ban, and bars every American from participating in a unique online community with more than 1 billion people worldwide.”

Oral arguments for TikTok’s case against the US federal government will be heard in September, just a few months before ByteDance’s January deadline to divest from the social media platform.

TikTok has vowed to fight the ban in court, which may take several years.

TikTok CEO, Shou Zi Chew, stated in a video: “We are confident and we will keep fighting for your rights in the courts. Rest assured, we aren’t going anywhere.”

When would the ban be enforced and how would a TikTok ban work?

The nine-month deadline for ByteDance to sell TikTok is January 2025, but there is an additional three-month grace period if the US government is happy that a potential sale is in progress. The ban would come into force once that deadline has expired and no sale has been completed.

However, if Donald Trump wins the Presidential election in November 2024, he may attempt to block the bill in the new year, based on his recent u-turn.

If the US government is successful in banning TikTok, it would likely be removed from all app stores so no new users could download and sign up. Individuals who already have the app on their smart devices would no longer receive updates designed to fix bugs or improve security – making the app increasingly more difficult to access.

Is TikTok banned in other countries?

There are a few locations worldwide that have already banned TikTok, including Somalia, Iran, Nepal and Afghanistan.

There are also partial bans on government devices in many major countries, such as:

• Australia
• Belgium
• Canada
• Denmark
• France
• Latvia
• New Zealand
• Norway
• Taiwan
• United Kingdom
• United States

Indonesia and Pakistan have, in the past, been successful in banning TikTok because of explicit content. However, both countries rescinded the bans.

Does TikTok collect user data?

To provide its users with a personalised ‘For You’ feed on the app, TikTok does collect user data. Critics suggest that TikTok collects more data from its users than other social media platforms to provide this personalised service.

Information collected includes users’ location, which device they’re using, the content they engage with and keystroke rhythms they exhibit while typing.

However, Instagram and Facebook – 158 million and 194 million users in America, respectively – collect similar data from their users.

What next for TikTok users in the United States of America?

Despite privacy and security concerns, passionate Americans keen to continue accessing the app have protested the legislation. Many TikTok users contacted their local senators to oppose the ban – but politicians believe they’re protecting Americans as they think the Chinese government is using TikTok videos to steal user data.

For many of the 121m+ TikTok users in America, losing access to the app would harm their income. A lot of businesses have been created and career paths forged due to success on the app, so closing that down would significantly impact many Americans.

TikTok Ads professionals

At Paramount Digital, we’re keen to always stay on top of news relating to the huge video platform. We’ve spent the last few years working with our clients to advertise on TikTok, proposing ideas for ad content and campaigns.

As a leading TikTok ads agency, we promote the content as an in-feed video to drive users towards the brand and, based on your budget, we can recommend the most suitable videos to make to reach your target audience.

At present, there is no TikTok ban being proposed in the UK so why not make the most of the platform and advertise there? If you need support, contact Paramount Digital today to get the ball rolling.