TikTok ban: all the news on the US’s crackdown on the video platform
Illustration: Nick Barclay / The VergeHere’s a roundup of all the essential development as US lawmakers weigh a potential ban on the ByteDance-owned social media platform. Continue reading…
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A US-wide ban on the social media platform TikTok has grown increasingly possible in recent months. Although a potential ban has its roots in a Trump-era executive order, it has become an increasingly mainstream political position under President Joe Biden, whose administration has reportedly demanded that ByteDance, the app’s Chinese parent company, either sell off TikTok or face being banned in the US.
The core concern is national security, namely that ByteDance’s ownership of TikTok could give the Chinese government a way to access personal data on the service’s 150 million US users. The federal government already bans its employees from installing the app on official devices, and it’s an increasingly similar story across state governments. There are also concerns that TikTok’s video recommendation algorithm could be used to promote China’s foreign policy goals.
But the concerns come at a time of heightened tensions between the two countries that has seen US officials more wary than ever of China’s growing influence on the world stage. Last year, the Biden administration announced sweeping new restrictions aimed at limiting China’s access to advanced technology and has lobbied international partners to do the same.
Read on for all the latest news on a potential TikTok ban in the US.
TikTok now has 150 million monthly active users in the US.
The company confirmed the new stat to Reuters, and it’s a number that’s up from 100 million in 2020. TikTok is confirming the number as all eyes are on the company: CEO Shou Zi Chew is set to appear for congressional testimony on March 23rd, and the Biden administration is reportedly demanding the company be sold off from parent ByteDance or face a ban in the US.
Get ready, Washington.
TikTok’s planning to flood the nation’s capital with “dozens” of influencers next week for a three-day protest of Biden’s potential ban on the app, according to a report from Politico.
The Chinese-owned app is reportedly even paying the influencers for their journey to DC, although it’s unclear who will be in attendance. TikTok spokesperson Jamal Brown has since confirmed the company’s plans to Politico:
We look forward to welcoming our creators to our nation’s capital, helping them make their voices heard, and continuing to drive meaningful impact in their lives and for their communities.
The UK government doesn’t find TikTok to be Tip-Top.
The UK has banned TikTok on government-issued phones after a review concluded there “could be a risk around how sensitive government data is accessed and used by certain platforms.”
Described as a “precautionary move,” the ban dawdles after the US and EU already introduced their own restrictions citing similar security concerns.
Now the European Commission is banning TikTok from staffers’ phones, too.
The EU Commission is instructing employees to delete TikTok from the devices they use to access the agency’s apps and emails over concerns about cybersecurity, according to a report from The Guardian.
Several US states have already introduced bans on the app on government phones, while the House of Representatives banned TikTok from staff members’ mobile devices last December.
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