TikTok is currently the largest social media platform and is popular in almost every part of the world. The USA is one of the largest buyers and probably also the most active users. TikTok is now part of everyday life for many people, whether as a consumer or as an influencer on the platform itself. But rumors have been circulating for several years that the platform is about to be banned in America. Where does this change come from and how likely is it?

How the fight against TikTok started

The possible ban can be traced back to TikTok itself and its origins. The app was developed by the Chinese company ByteDance, which angered many Western authorities. So far, there are no known cases of surveillance or other abuses by the Chinese company or government, but this is exactly the problem that many politicians fear. It is an attack against the country’s national security. But the platform’s great boom also contributes to the fact that it should be restricted. The aim is to prevent a monopoly position, especially through a Chinese app.

The whole drama started with the presidency of Donald Trump in 2020, who directly targeted TikTok. After all, around 170 million Americans use the app every day, which is over half of the total population. So the TikTok ban is absolutely not a new phenomenon and is a holdover from the Trump presidency.

TikTok has long been banned on official smartphones of government members, which is also partly extended to countries such as France, England and Sweden. This has no impact on private individuals, but it is intended to prevent government things from leaking out. By the way, this doesn’t exist in Germany; anyone can install TikTok freely.

Current developments simply explained

But even under the new leadership of President Biden, nothing has changed in this attempt to ban TikTok. In 2024, the situation has become even more serious, with much of the government in Washington calling for a change to TikToks and a possible ban.

The primary aim is not to block it, but rather to adapt the development of the app. This should no longer be owned by ByteDance, but should also be in American hands for the American market. In this way, the government wants to ensure that no espionage takes place.

Despite these latest votes, it is still questionable whether this will be enforced. There is currently no evidence of TikTok’s interference with US privacy or government, and it would be a ban against general freedom of expression. Selling the app would be an agreement between both sides, but it is not yet known whether ByteDance would also like to participate.

Possible consequences for users

– Loss of followers: As already discussed, TikTok has around 170 million users in the USA alone. A loss of these users is also fatal for other countries because accounts could lose massive amounts of followers. You could buy additional TikTok followers to compensate , but many real followers would be lost.

– Creative possibilities are dwindling: For many people, TikTok is an expression of their own personality and creativity, and a wonderful distraction from stressful everyday life. Even though the app of course also has negative aspects, this is a very positive aspect that a ban on TikTok would eliminate for many Americans.

– Job loss: Influencers are now a recognized profession and TikTok probably has the most of them. A ban would also mean a major loss of jobs if users have not established a second source of income. Advertising partners would also decline sharply.

– Connection with friends: Aside from large accounts, many people use TikTok primarily to have fun with their friends. Of course, there are other apps here too, but TikTok is truly unique and for many people it cannot be easily replaced by another app.

Problems for the EU too?

So far there are no opinions as to whether and how a possible ban could also affect Europe and Germany. If the American government actually pushes through the ban, it would definitely be interesting to see whether other countries follow suit.

But the likelihood of a complete ban is very low, even if there is currently a lot of uproar. It remains to be seen how the situation will change in the following weeks and months and whether the US government will actually manage to enforce such a ban on TikTok.

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