Social Media Trends
TikTok’s been all over the news lately, and not just for dance trends. Last week, U.S. President Joe Biden signed a bill that threatens the app’s future. If TikTok’s parent company ByteDance doesn’t find a non-Chinese buyer within nine months, the app may be completely banned in the United States due to big concerns over national security and data privacy.
But there’s a catch—the app’s secret sauce, its algorithm, can’t be sold without approval from the Chinese government because of tech export restrictions. So even if ByteDance wants to sell, the deal might not include what makes TikTok so powerful, which would severely diminish the app’s value.
TikTok isn’t just sitting back. They’re planning to challenge the U.S. bill, claiming it infringes on free speech rights and unfairly targets them.
Why This Matters
This battle involves legal, political, and economic arenas, not just in the U.S., but in Canada and internationally as nations watch how America tackles the “TikTok conundrum”.
The unfolding events around TikTok are significant because they touch on issues such as international policy, national security, freedom of expression, digital culture, and the global business environment. In my opinion, I don’t think we will see TikTok disappear, but we are headed into a complicated showdown.
Next Steps
While the outcome of this saga remains uncertain, organizations heavily reliant on TikTok should consider alternative strategies to engage their audiences, should the app become unavailable. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- DIVERSIFY your social media presence
- ALIGN your TikTok strategy with YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels
- FOCUS on building your email list
- ARCHIVE existing TikTok content
- STAY informed and agile
Click here to read what happened when India banned TikTok back in 2020.