The Biden administration has given Chinese company ByteDance an ultimatum to sell their popular video-sharing app, TikTok, or face a nationwide ban. While TikTok has tried to persuade U.S. officials that they can address security concerns and meet proposed scrutiny, the company has not yet indicated whether it will sell. TikTok’s CEO has argued that a ban would not address security concerns, but the consequences for consumers are unclear.
What will happen if TikTok is banned?
Experts who have studied cybersecurity, national security, and technology policy suggest that the U.S. could potentially institute a ban by prohibiting app stores from offering TikTok for download, which could lead to the app losing functionality over time. It is also possible that the use of TikTok could be criminalized, resulting in fines.
While an app store ban would leave the app intact on phones where it was already downloaded, the U.S. could theoretically force internet providers to block the app, similar to India’s ban of TikTok in 2020. The U.S. has never issued a blanket ban on an app before, but the government did force the sale of the dating app Grindr in 2019.
Some experts suggest that using a VPN could provide access to TikTok if the U.S. moves to completely block the app, although officials could target VPN access to make the ban effective. However, a ban would not address the transfer of data, which is a key problem that TikTok poses. Furthermore, most smartphone apps harvest data from users’ phones, and the U.S. has no overarching federal data privacy law.
However, TikTok’s ownership by a Chinese company has raised particular concerns among U.S. officials, who fear that user data could be accessed by the Chinese government. The company has repeatedly denied that it shares user data with the Chinese government and has even taken steps to distance itself from China, such as setting up a new corporate entity in the United States and hiring American executives.
Despite TikTok’s efforts to address security concerns, the Trump administration issued an executive order in August 2020 that would have effectively banned TikTok from the United States, citing national security concerns. The order was later blocked by a federal judge, but the Biden administration has continued to scrutinize TikTok’s security practices and has suggested that a ban could still be on the table.
If a ban were to go into effect, it would have significant implications for TikTok’s user base in the United States, which includes millions of young people who have become avid users of the app. While the app could still technically be used by those who already have it downloaded, the lack of updates and potential blocking by internet providers could make the app less functional over time. Additionally, the ban could have broader implications for other Chinese-owned apps and companies operating in the United States, as it would set a precedent for the government to take action against foreign-owned tech companies it deems to be a national security threat.
Overall, the potential ban on TikTok highlights the ongoing tension between the United States and China over technology and national security, and raises important questions about the role of foreign-owned tech companies in the U.S. market.
