Will Contries continue to ban TikTok?
Written By: Mike Fierstein
Will TikTok Continue to be Banned?
TikTok is one of the most popular social media platforms known to date. This app was created by the group Bytedance, which was founded in March 2012. ByteDance created two identical social media platforms named, TikTok and Douyin. While TikTok is completely separate from Douyin, Tiktok is based on markets outside of mainland China and was launched in 2017 for iOS and Android in most other countries. Within the first year of being live, the platform had over 100 Million users. (ByteDance – Inspire Creativity, Enrich Life.)
This fast-paced video-sharing platform has gained popularity rapidly over the past few years and continues to pave the way for all social media platforms. (The Top 10 Social Media Sites & Platforms.) The popularity of this app came from the algorithm of what was seen on the “For You” page. Each user has content that comes up on their feed generated by what they like, share, and post on their own account. (The Top 10 Social Media Sites & Platforms.) This keeps users engaged as they are able to scroll quickly through the app and see a variety of different content that is interesting to them. In October 2020, TikTok surpassed 2 billion mobile downloads worldwide. (15 TikTok Statistics Marketers Need To Know (2022).)
TikTok, as a social media platform, is continuing to grow at a rapid rate. In September of 2021, TikTok announced it had reached one billion active users worldwide. (Thanks a billion! | TikTok Newsroom). TikTok’s 5 most popular countries are the United States, Indonesia, Brazil, Russia, and lastly Mexico. The user demographics are very important to its rapid growth, “57 percent of TikTok’s users worldwide identify as female, with the remaining 43 percent identifying as male” (15 TikTok Statistics Marketers Need To Know (2022)). TikTok ranks among the top 5 of all social media platforms in the world and competes against other platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Snapchat just to name a few.
| Country | Active User Accounts |
| United States | 131 million users |
| Indonesia | 92.1 million users |
| Brazil | 74.1 million users |
| Russia | 54.9 million users |
| Mexico | 46 million users |
With over one billion active users, there are a variety of motivations for how users use their time on the app. (Thanks a billion! | TikTok Newsroom.) In early March of 2023, the Biden Administration cracked down on the Bytedance CEO, Zhang Yiming to threaten the banning of Tiktok in the United States if China did not sell its share in stake in the company. (Why the U.S. and Other Countries Want to Ban or Restrict TikTok) United States Officials of National Security and other Federal agencies worry about the lack of user knowledge of data sharing between the app and China and how the China Communist Party has unlimited access to American phone records. Because of high tensions between the two countries, the United States feels as though to protect themselves and the American people’s safety, it would be best if there was a change within the system of how data is being stored, saved, and shared by its shareholders. As the app continues to grow in popularity, privacy issues become more urgent.
Several countries have made plans or have already cut ties with the platform as privacy concerns are questioned universally about the app. “Australia has become the latest country to ban TikTok from federal government devices. Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said the ban will take effect “as soon as practicable” and that exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis” (McDade & Jackson 2023). These bans are starting small and making their way to be departmental and recreational bans as time goes on.
Other countries that are inducing country bans are France, The Netherlands, New Zealand, India, the United Kingdom, Canada, Taiwan, European Union, and Afghanistan. (Why the U.S. and Other Countries Want to Ban or Restrict TikTok)This group of countries is going to grow as user safety continues to be in question. Each of these countries has been on their toes about how China is using the information they have access to. China’s Foreign Ministry argues these bans do not feel as though it is a fit solution. “‘How unsure of itself can the world’s top superpower be to fear a young people’s favorite app?” said spokeswoman Mao Ning. She said that such bans were an abuse of state power and “overstretching the concept of national security,’ and she urged the U.S. government to “respect the principles of market economy and fair competition” (Canada is latest country to ban TikTok on government phones). With this being said, China claims to have taken no part in the security invasion within the data that comes from the app.
Currently in the United States, Montana is the first state to officially ban the use and download of Tiktok. The Montana House of Representatives voted in favor of banning the app in early March which would cause Google and Android users and the app itself to be fined by 2024 if the application was used within state lines. (Why the U.S. and Other Countries Want to Ban or Restrict TikTok.) As a whole, the United States has taken precautions with the application of TikTok including banning it from all government-issued devices and many schools have banned it from being used or accessible on school campuses and wifi (Why the U.S. and Other Countries Want to Ban or Restrict TikTok.). Many states in the US are watching how Montana handles this ban and its success of it which could lead TikTok to being banned in other states. There has never been a ban on a platform before so there is a lot of uncertainty of how well this will work out for Montana, but it brings many questions on how TikTok will respond to this.
Banning the platform is a difficult decision as both parties understand the repercussions of what would happen if they ban TikTok in the United States. Many people would lose their jobs, others would find ways around the ban, and TikTok would lose substantial amounts of money and other problems would arise as the ban continued to follow through.
Work Cited Page
ByteDance. “ByteDance Our Mission.” Our Mission Inspire Creativity, Enrich Life, ByteDance, ByteDance – Inspire Creativity, Enrich Life.
Espada, Mariah, and Nik Popli. “Why the U.S. and Other Countries Want to Ban or Restrict TikTok.” Time, 16 Mar. 2023, Why the U.S. and Other Countries Want to Ban or Restrict TikTok.
Fung, B. (2023, April 14). Montana lawmakers vote to completely ban TikTok in the state | CNN Business. CNN. Montana lawmakers vote to completely ban TikTok in the state | CNN Business
Herrman, John. “How TikTok Is Rewriting the World.” The New York Times, 10 Mar. 2019, How TikTok Is Rewriting the World – The New York Times.
TikTok. (2023, January 1). Privacy Policy | TikTok. Www.tiktok.com. Privacy Policy | TikTok
TikTok. “Thanks a Billion!” TikTok, TikTok, 27 Sept. 2021, Thanks a billion! | TikTok Newsroom.
Walsh, Shelley. “The Top 10 Social Media Sites & Platforms.” Search Engine Journal, 30 May 2022, The Top 10 Social Media Sites & Platforms.
Canada is latest country to ban TikTok on government phones. (n.d.). Washington Post. Canada is latest country to ban TikTok on government phones
Ying Lin, Ying. “15 TikTok Statistics Marketers Need To Know (2022).” Shopify.com, 2 May 2022, 15 TikTok Statistics Marketers Need To Know (2022).
Walsh, Shelley. “The Top 10 Social Media Sites & Platforms.” Search Engine Journal, 30 May 2022, The Top 10 Social Media Sites & Platforms.
Canada is latest country to ban TikTok on government phones. (n.d.). Washington Post. Canada is latest country to ban TikTok on government phones
Ying Lin, Ying. “15 TikTok Statistics Marketers Need To Know (2022).” Shopify.com, 2 May 2022, 15 TikTok Statistics Marketers Need To Know (2022).