TikTok Ban in the United States: Threats and Repercussions
TikTok is expected to be banned in the United States starting January 19, 2025 if parent company ByteDance does not meet legal requirements to sell the app due to national security concerns. The move comes after a US appeals court upheld a law requiring the app to be sold or face a ban in the country, dealing a blow to the app's more than 170 million US users .
The law and the reasons for the ban
The laws upheld by the court address security concerns regarding the Chinese government's collection of personal data of users in the United States. Although the court found that the ban did not violate freedom of expression, it upheld the government's view that protecting national security required such measures.
What will happen next?
TikTok plans to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court and may also ask to temporarily suspend enforcement of the law during the appeal period. But even if the appeal fails, there is hope that President-elect Donald Trump, who previously opposed banning the app but recently indicated he might not support it now, will intervene. Trump could take legal action to mitigate the decision or try to find a way to allow TikTok to continue operating.
The impact of the ban on users and businesses
If the ban is implemented, it will have a major impact on TikTok users, including hundreds of thousands of creators and small businesses who rely on the platform. Many users have expressed concern about losing their means of communicating and profiting from the app, while others believe that moving to another platform will be a major challenge due to differences in algorithms and monetization methods .
Hopes for political solutions
Ultimately, the ban remains largely postponed, pending future legal and political developments. Whether through legal action or political intervention by the new administration, the future remains uncertain for TikTok in the United States.
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