TikTok’s Ticking Time Bomb: Will the US Ban The Viral App? – Here’s What You Need To Know

TikTok is kicking off its legal battle against a US law that says it has to break up with its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, or face a full-on ban in the States.

So, who’s trying to boot TikTok out of the US?

Both Democrats and Republicans are on board with a law that would ban TikTok unless ByteDance sells to a non-Chinese company. Why? They’re worried ByteDance might be forced to hand over data from TikTok’s 170 million US users to the Chinese government.

TikTok swears up and down that it would never share foreign user data with Beijing, but that hasn’t stopped lawmakers from pushing for change.

In April, President Joe Biden signed off on a bill that could force ByteDance’s hand. This isn’t the first attempt at banning TikTok though. Back in 2020, Donald Trump tried to do the same, but the ban didn’t stick. Ironically, Trump—who’s also running in 2024—has now criticised the new law, saying banning TikTok would only help Facebook.

Meanwhile, VP Kamala Harris, also running for president, has embraced TikTok. Her campaign has even jumped on viral trends to connect with younger voters. (Her team’s vibe? They just want TikTok to change ownership, not disappear.)

Is TikTok really a threat?

That’s still up for debate, but TikTok’s future in the US is hanging by a thread.

When could TikTok be banned?

Biden’s bill didn’t bring an immediate ban, but it kicked off a countdown. ByteDance has nine months to sell TikTok, with a little wiggle room of three months, before the app could face a ban. So, by January 19, 2025 (just after the 2024 election), we might see TikTok either sold or gone.

But TikTok isn’t backing down without a fight. They’ve already taken legal action to block the law, which means this battle could drag on for years.

How would a ban even work?

If it comes to that, the easiest way to ban TikTok would be to pull it from app stores like Apple’s and Google’s. So, if the US really pulls the trigger, you might wake up one day to find the app missing from your phone. The easiest way would be to yank it from app stores. No more updates, no more fresh downloads. If you already have the app, you’d be stuck with the last version, which could get real buggy real fast without security updates.

Oh, and the bill would also stop apps linked to countries like Russia, China, and Iran from doing business in the US. So yeah, it’s a big deal.

Has TikTok been banned elsewhere?

Yep, India gave TikTok the boot back in 2020, and it’s blocked in a few other places like Iran, Afghanistan, and Somalia. In the UK, it’s banned on government devices, and even the BBC has told its staff to uninstall it over security worries.

So, what’s next? Stay tuned – TikTok’s not going down without a fight.