will the app also be banned in Europe?

A ban on the popular social media app TikTok is getting closer. At least, in the United States. Will there also be a TikTok ban in Europe?

TikTok in the US

A TikTok ban seems to be becoming more realistic by the day in the United States. For example, last Wednesday a new proposal was adopted in the House of Representatives, which requires TikTok owner ByteDance to sell the app to an American party. It will be given nine months for this, with the option to extend up to three months. ByteDance does not intend to do this, but if no sales take place, the app may no longer be offered in app stores in the US. Not even in Apple’s App Store.

buying tip

American politicians are particularly concerned about the influence of the Chinese government. They are afraid that the authorities can influence American users through TikTok’s algorithm and that they can obtain important data from these users through the app. Moreover, there is fear of espionage. TikTok itself says it has no ties with the Chinese government and that American investors already play a major role.

There are also concerns about TikTok in Europe. Officials within the European Commission and European Council have not been allowed to install the app on their own smartphones for security reasons since February 2023. Europe is following the example of officials in the US, to whom this ban previously applied. But does this mean that there will also be a complete TikTok ban in Europe in the long term?

TikTok ban in Europe?

TikTok has not escaped criticism in Europe either. The European Union is currently closely monitoring the platform because of the Digital Services Act: a law aimed at regulating online platforms, such as social media. The EU wonders whether TikTok is currently complying with this sufficiently.

That doubt comes from different angles. First, the EU is concerned about TikTok’s algorithm, which is addictive and can have negative consequences for users. Secondly, platforms like TikTok must ensure the security and privacy of their users, but the EU questions whether this is happening enough at the moment. Third, a feature of TikTok Lite (a lighter version of the app) that allows users to earn money by watching videos is said to have addictive effects. A formal investigation has now been launched into the latter.

The big question is whether TikTok is willing to adapt to meet the EU’s wishes. It seems that way: ByteDance has now made the money-making function in TikTok Lite ‘voluntary’ https://twitter.com/tiktokpolicyeur/status/1783143994194551197. As long as ByteDance adheres to regulations within the EU, TikTok does not seem to be going anywhere. The company will probably just do this: adjusting TikTok is a lot less drastic than a complete takeover as in the United States. If ByteDance does nothing, it will probably first receive a fine as a warning.

By the way, a complete TikTok ban in Europe has not even been formally discussed. In fact, according to a source from the NOS in Brussels, there are no signals from the Member States or the European Commission that this is being considered at all. For the time being, a ban is not likely, and the chance that this will eventually happen is therefore very small thanks to the regulation.