The Future of TikTok
Written by Julian Jimenez-Pardo
In the aftermath of President Donald Trump’s return to office, the popular social media app TikTok is once again facing the risk of being banned in the U.S.. After an executive order on national security grounds, TikTok owner ByteDance was given a 75-day extension to comply with the government’s demands. With the deadline inching closer, the app’s future in America remains uncertain as the government pushes for ownership and operational changes to address security risks.
The government's concern stems from the fact that TikTok is a Chinese-owned app. Authorities fear this may give the Chinese government access to data from millions of U.S. users. Critics argue that data could be used for espionage or influence campaigns on the U.S., in turn raising red flags for national security experts in the government. The Trump administration, from its first day in office, has been adamant about TikTok’s status as a looming threat and has demanded action to contain potential risks as soon as possible. To address these concerns, ByteDance has been pushed into selling off TikTok's U.S. operations to an American-owned company.
Another key concern for U.S. officials is the transparency in how and where user data is stored and managed, with one of the prerequisites for the deal being for user data to be stored on U.S. soil. Several U.S. companies, such as Microsoft, Oracle, and Walmart, quickly entered the race to buy TikTok. Microsoft focused on its background in protecting user data, Oracle on its expertise in cloud computing, and Walmart offered a vision for integrating TikTok into its growing e-commerce platform. ByteDance replied by agreeing to relocate all U.S. users' data to local servers and to be more open in its algorithmic processes and privacy practices. Negotiations are ongoing in an effort to find a deal with a U.S.-based purchaser, which could enable the app to remain available on the American market. However, time is running out, and if TikTok fails to secure an agreement, it could still face a nationwide ban on its platform.
The coming weeks will determine whether TikTok can overcome this social and political challenge to remain accessible to its millions of American users. As of now, the app's fate hangs in the balance as both ByteDance and American officials scramble to establish a fix.