Americans mourned as their TikTok access was promptly cut off this weekend – and then reinstated 14 hours later. But, is it back for good?
Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about the TikTok ban, including what it is, why it’s in place and whose idea the ban really was.
Have the USA banned TikTok?
The USA did initially follow through with its threat to ban TikTok on January 19, with the app forced to go dark in the region on Sunday.
However, the platform was back up and running within 14 hours of the US-wide shutdown due to an executive order issued by president-elect Donald Trump during his three-day inauguration event.
Trump’s plan is to turn TikTok into a joint venture, allowing the US to take 50% ownership rather than forcing ByteDance to sell 100% as was the original order. Legally, the president can extend the ban deadline by up to 90 days if ByteDance works toward a sale.
Interestingly, according to a report by CNN, the Biden administration also looked to extend the deadline ahead of the TikTok ban but didn’t believe Biden had the authority to do so, ultimately leaving the decision up to the incoming Trump administration.
Why can’t Americans use TikTok?
TikTok was forced to close access for American users due to national security and user privacy concerns, as well as reported ties to the Chinese Communist Party.
ByteDance and TikTok have repeatedly insisted that they do not hand data over to the Chinese government and that the app is not being used to spy on US users. However, then-president Biden signed the Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act last April after the bill passed the House and Senate with mass support. This move ultimately gave ByteDance until now to divest.
In a statement published on January 17, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland of the US Department of Justice said:
“The Court’s decision enables the Justice Department to prevent the Chinese government from weaponizing TikTok to undermine America’s national security. Authoritarian regimes should not have unfettered access to millions of Americans’ sensitive data. The Court’s decision affirms that this Act protects the national security of the United States in a manner that is consistent with the Constitution”.
Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco added:
“We welcome today’s decision by the Supreme Court. The Justice Department has long warned about the national security harms from PRC control of TikTok – including the ability to gather sensitive information about tens of millions of Americans and to covertly manipulate the content delivered to them.
“The Court’s ruling also underscores that the bipartisan legislation upheld today is focused on protecting Americans, not restricting free speech. Rather, this legislation is about breaking the ties that bind TikTok to the government in Beijing, in a manner consistent with the Constitution. The next phase of this effort – implementing and ensuring compliance with the law after it goes into effect on January 19 – will be a process that plays out over time”.
TikTok has argued that a sale would be difficult, arguing that the requirement to sell the US is “illusory to the point of being no alternative at all”, (via Forbes). Likewise, National Security Agency general counsel Glenn Gerstell told Forbes: “There’s no way to take the U.S. piece out of TikTok and sell it to someone”.
Did Trump want to ban TikTok in 2020?
If you recall the weird year that was 2020, you might remember TikTok’s latest saviour Trump being the president who called for a ban in the first place.
“As far as TikTok is concerned, we’re banning them from the United States”, announced then-president Trump to reporters in July 2020. Just one month later, Trump followed this statement by pushing for an executive order that called “the spread in the United States of mobile applications developed and owned” by Chinese companies a national security threat.
However, the president-elect has since done a 180, joining the platform last June and meeting with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew at Mar-a-Lago ahead of his inauguration (which the CEO also plans to attend).
Trump has also credited the app for helping him win over young voters, stating “I have a warm spot in my heart for TikTok” and “TikTok had an impact” (via AP). Statements like this have contributed to speculation that Trump is attempting to win over Gen Z voters by being the hero to reinstate TikTok in US app stores.
When will TikTok be back in the App Store?
As of our publishing this guide, TikTok has not returned to the iOS or Android app stores in the US.
If you already have the app installed, it will remain on your device but US users are currently not receiving updates, which could impact key areas like performance and security.
Is TikTok going to be banned in the UK?
Cabinet minister Darren Jones has stated that there are “no plans” for the UK to ban TikTok (via Sky News).
While TikTok is not allowed on government devices due to the presence of sensitive information, he confirmed that, for “consumers who want to post videos of their cats or dancing, that doesn’t seem like a national security threat to me”.
“So, we won’t be following the same path that the Americans have followed unless or until at some point in the future there is a threat that we are concerned about in the British interest”, concluded Jones.
