According to The Wall Street Journal, the Biden administration has presented TikTok’s owners with a challenging choice to make—sell their stakes in the video-sharing app or see the app banned from the US market. TikTok is owned by a Chinese company, ByteDance, and its representatives were quick to confirm the news.
The decision to threaten the company with a ban seems to be a policy shift on the part of the Biden administration, especially as it comes approximately two-and-a-half years after the Trump administration made a similar threat.
TikTok CEO, Shou Zi Chew, has appeared before Congress in an attempt to alleviate US concerns regarding ByteDance’s alleged connections to the Chinese government. However, according to Reuters, this attempt was at least partially unsuccessful, and concerns about a possible ban are now rapidly growing. Chew took the stand to deny the allegations that TikTok shares data or has connections with the Chinese Communist Party. He explained that the social media platform is taking critical steps to ensure the safety of its American users. “The bottom line is this: American data stored on American soil, by an American company, overseen by American personnel,” he added.
This article will explore the concerns Congress has regarding TikTok and how banning this app could impact content creators and marketers.
Why Are Concerns About TikTok Growing?
Lawmakers in Washington are worried that the Chinese government could infiltrate TikTok to spy on American users or exploit data from the 80 million American monthly active users. Moreover, some are also concerned about the potential use of the app by the Chinese government to disseminate propaganda to US audiences. These apprehensions are derived from the fact that any company conducting business in China is ultimately subject to the Chinese Communist Party’s laws.
Furthermore, TikTok was involved in a similar dispute in the US back in 2020. At that time, the Trump administration threatened to ban the app through an executive order if it did not sell itself to a US-based company.
However, TikTok has grown to become an essential platform for content creators, influencers, and marketers due to its massive user base, viral content, short-form video format, and robust influencer marketing ecosystem. Many of them went so far as to visit Capitol Hill in an attempt to explain why the app has become vital to their livelihoods and communities. “A ban on TikTok would be devastating to not only my community of parents and people that follow me, but also the millions of other communities that I know TikTok has helped develop,” TikTok creator Jason Linton explained.
What a TikTok Ban Could Mean for Content Creators and Marketers
With millions of monthly users, TikTok is one of the largest social media platforms in the world, so it comes as no surprise that content creators and marketers are worried about a possible US ban. This massive user base presents a significant opportunity for content creators, influencers, and marketers to reach a large audience, and TikTok could prove to be extremely difficult to replace. Another cause for concern is the fact that TikTok is especially useful in reaching younger audiences, as most users are between ages 10 and 19.
Without access to TikTok, marketers will need to readjust their advertising strategies and shift to other social media platforms. However, this could prove less effective in reaching the same target audience. Moreover, TikTok’s unique format and features, like its short-form videos and popular challenges, could prove difficult to imitate on other platforms. Marketers could find it challenging to create and promote equally engaging content that resonates with their audience.
All in all, a TikTok ban could disrupt the social media landscape and force marketers to rethink their advertising strategies and find new ways to reach younger audiences.
Understanding the Effects of a TikTok Ban
A TikTok ban is likely to impact businesses, marketers, and creators in different ways, but this does not mean the effects of the ban should be taken lightly. According to Callie Goodwin, owner of the greeting card company Sparks of Joy, 95% of her orders come from her TikTok followers. She expressed her concern that a TikTok ban would not only jeopardize her business but also cause the majority of her income to vanish. Goodwin added that the community of content creators and customers she has worked hard to build on the platform would also disappear.
According to Reuters, however, TikTok’s parent company is probably going to question the attempt to ban the app. Not only was ByteDance successful in stopping Trump’s previous threat, but banning apps like TikTok is only likely if policymakers can accurately establish the fact that they pose a risk to US national security. For now, marketers and content creators can continue to use TikTok and enjoy its countless benefits. However, creating an alternate digital marketing strategy that excludes the app is probably an excellent idea, considering the risks.
