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Brace yourselves, folks, because the US Senate just greenlit a TikTok ban (or sale), and it’s as dramatic as a soap opera finale. The short-form video app, known for its catchy dance routines, quirky pranks, and overnight influencer stardom, has been handed a serious ultimatum: either its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, divests within a year, or the app is pulled from US app stores.
Is this Gen Z’s Footloose? What will we ever do without 30 seconds of the same dance repeated ad nauseam in varying degrees of banality?
In a landslide vote of 79-18, the Senate passed the bill, which previously zipped through the House with a 360-58 vote. It’s part of a broader $145 billion foreign aid package supporting Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. Now, the legislation awaits President Biden’s signature, and he’s already given it the thumbs-up.
Behind the bill has been growing concerns coming from US security agencies that TikTok’s parent company ByteDance, is “beholden to the Chinese government [and] attempting to steal…AI and hack American technology every day,” says FBI Director Christopher Wray.
If ByteDance doesn’t play nice, TikTok could vanish from the app store shelves, turning content creators’ worlds upside down. But hold your horses, TikTok’s public policy head, Michael Beckerman, isn’t taking this lying down. He’s ready to hit the courtroom, arguing the ban violates the US constitution’s First Amendment. Apparently, when you’re swiping through dance challenges, you’re also engaging in free speech.
The stakes are high, with Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store facing financial penalties if they don’t comply with the ban. And let’s not forget the creators who rely on TikTok for their bread and butter. They’re likely shaking in their virtual boots as the clock ticks down.
Meanwhile, the legislation has raised eyebrows over its implications for data privacy and freedom of expression. Critics point out that the US hasn’t really shown proof that TikTok is handing user data to China, and argue that a comprehensive federal data privacy law might be a better approach. But for now, TikTok is in the hot seat, and its future in the US is about as certain as a cat’s on a hot tin roof. Buckle up, it’s going to be a bumpy ride.
What this means for Australian users of the App remains to be seen but some kind of impact is most definitely going to happen. Australian government has made it their crusade to battle social media giants this year–the Meta news wars for one and calling out Elon Musk for being a moron next–and they’ve been open in their support of the US battle against TikTok.
