US President Biden has signed a law requiring the popular app TikTok to break with its Chinese owner. And if that doesn’t happen, the social media channel could even be banned in the US. Correspondent Erik Mouthaan answers five questions.
1. Why is the US taking this step?
According to politicians in Washington, it is a risk that more than 170 million Americans are exposed every day to videos controlled by an algorithm determined in China. It could lead to misinformation, especially in an election year. Mouthaan: “The current Chinese owner, Bytedance, would not have enough distance from the Chinese Communist Party. In addition, there are concerns about the personal data of users.”
2. Can TikTok really be banned in the US?
The government could ban app stores from offering the app, so it would make it especially difficult for new users to sign up. Mouthaan: “A ban on the app seems mainly to be a stick behind the door, and would only take effect in a maximum of a year.”
3. Has anything like this ever happened before?
The US has already forced a social media company to change ownership in 2020. The gay hookup app Grindr was owned by a Chinese company, but the US government said it posed too much of a risk to national security. Also because the app keeps track of sensitive information about American citizens, such as their orientation and HIV status.
4. What will TikTok do next?
“Filing lawsuits. The company says that it has sufficient distance from China. Its headquarters are in Singapore and no one in China would have influence. TikTok also believes that the American parliament is going beyond its limits by scrutinizing one company. “
TikTok suggests the law is an attempt to help American social media companies like Instagram, calling it an attack on freedom of expression. Bytedance points out that the app pumps billions into the American economy.
5. Are TikTokkers worried?
Influencers have gone to Washington in recent weeks to complain to politicians. But they received no response, says Mouthaan: “TikTok recently sent a push alert to all its American users and called on them to take action. But that didn’t go down well with politicians who saw it as an attempt to politically influence American citizens.”
A large majority of MPs from both parties say that TikTok can remain on Americans’ phones, but not as long as it is owned by a Chinese company.
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