TikTok Ban: Will They or Won’t They?
4 MIN READ
Updated March 30, 2023
TikTok and the US: a real will they, won't they [ban]? The situation is ever-changing, but our update is here to provide up-to-the-second insights and info, as well as some ways to begin safeguarding your brand now, all in one place.
What’s going on with the legislation?
Given that the TikTok ban is a bipartisan issue and TikTok's CEO's testimony didn't alleviate the concerns surrounding data being shared with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), signs pointed to the legislation getting passed. But in an unexpected turn of events, Republican Senator Rand Paul blocked the bid to fast-track the ban. Paul’s reasoning? A TikTok ban would be an infringement on freedom of speech and a precedent to treat social media companies unevenly.
This doesn’t mean that TikTok is safe yet. Congress continues to work on different forms of legislation that are meant to protect personal data and reduce national security risk. For now, we have to sit and wait to see what comes next.
When will TikTok be banned?
Should any legislation end up being passed, we likely wouldn’t see President Biden enact the ban until after the 2024 election in fear of losing his under 35 voter base that helped him secure the election. As Biden has a history of standing up for the issues important to young voters, including inviting famous TikToker Dylan Mulvaney (10M followers) to the White House to discuss trans rights, we're hopeful that should the legislation go through, we will not see an immediate ban, if one at all.
What are TikTokers saying?
Unsurprisingly, the TikTok community is not happy. Of course, people do not want to lose their livelihoods or favorite content creation platform, but there's also a larger problem. Legislators who were questioning TikTok's CEO didn't seem to fully understand the platform...and the internet in general.
During the committee hearing, Rep. Richard Hudson asked about WiFi connectivity and wanted to know if TikTok has access to his WiFi network at home. Wisconsin Rep. Mike Gallagher after the committee hearing said that security threats can't be ignored "just because of concerns about alienating some teenagers on the app."
These types of comments resulted in outrage on TikTok as a further illustration of government representatives not being in touch with younger communities (yet not teenagers) and technology. Many, many videos were made to discuss how out-of-touch these congressional leaders are.
What should we do?
With so much still in the air, the best course of action is to actively grow channels that are similar to TikTok in nature that followers may turn to should the ban go through. This means spending time cultivating top-tier content for Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts. As these audiences aren't one-to-one for TikTok, it's important to develop an understanding of what specific content types resonate with them within your niche and tailor video content accordingly.
Another tactic that should be enabled as soon as possible is encouraging TikTok followers to follow you on your other social media channels should TikTok be banned. Under normal circumstances, an extensive pushing of "follow me on X" can be viewed as irritating and too much like you're trying to sell the brand. However, the majority of the community is well-aware of what's going on with the potential ban and welcome hearing opportunities of where else they can find your content should they lose TikTok access.
An Important Note
Asian Americans are concerned that a TikTok ban could lead to further hate crimes. This article from CNN goes into detail about the increasing rise of anti-Asian hate crimes and how this rhetoric is impacting people across the country.
If you have more questions about the ban or ways to safeguard your brand, feel free to reach out to us on Twitter, LinkedIn, or via our contact page.
