In “The Land of the Free” he seems to not be liking the advance of the Chinese platform TikTok over other applications. According to a report from Jordi Pérez Colom for Diario El Pas de España, The United States has sent a message to TikTok: either sell the company or close.
This is official and now ByteDancethe company’s Chinese parent company, You have 9 months to decide what to do. Is it censorship? Is there a way back? What motivated this decision?
According to the Spanish specialist, “it is not necessarily a prohibition.” Given that The owners could sell the application to an American company and everything would remain more or less the same; although it is somewhat unlikely because it is not the first option for TikTok, which says that the new law is in fact a ban and that they want to go to court.
“This unconstitutional law is a ban on TikTok, and we will challenge it in court,” the company says it’s a statement. So, if that happens, the Supreme Court will have to decide if the law violates the freedom of expression of the platform and its users, a very delicate matter in the United States.
The United States is one of TikTok’s largest markets today.
In that sense, a judicial process could extend this initial period of nine months. So it is likely that in 2024 there will be no news. Also, in November there are elections and Donald Trump, who tried to ban TikTok in 2020, is now more benevolent with the platform – part of his campaign takes it as a pillar – and there may be political changes.
As for the regulations in other American or European countries, they will remain in the hands of each administration. However, presents a precedent that could be followed by other administrations.
But a TikTok without the 170 million users that TikTok claims to have in the US will be another network. Not only because of the videos they create and watch, but because of the trends or challenges that arise from the main online market. Some big users may move to Canada or Mexico, but they’re unlikely to make all that effort if their primary market, TikTok users in the US, has vanished.
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On the other hand, Prez Colom warns that Apple and Google should remove the app from their stores. Updates will end. Internet providers must also limit access. Although using a VPN is a common trick to access the internet as if you were in another country, with app stores it is a greater effort and unaffordable for most users.
Who wins with the possible veto?
In a word, Zuckerberg. If any network is similar to TikTok today, it is Instagram and its Reels. They are in fact a copy. For many TikTok influencers, replicating their success won’t be easy on Reels, but there are few alternatives.
Reels does not stop growing and already represents 50% of the time that Instagram users spend in the app. It is an impressive increase for an application that used to be photos. There are also YouTube Shorts, but the type of content is even more different from TikTok than Reels, although behind the three options is the same vertical video format.
Mark Zuckerberg, owner of Meta, the big winner if TikTok closes.
In the absence of a clear alternative and a threat that is not immediate, TikTok users are expected to remain on that partner network. But there will be a part, the content creators who have the most to lose, who will have to divide their efforts among other platforms in case the veto occurs.
The reasons for the “veto”
“National security” is the big reason. Supporters of the law say that on TikTok it is easier to see Americans doubled by fentanyl or Chinese cities shining at dusk and more difficult to find content about Chinese repression against the Uyghurs or that represents the American dream.
This type of propaganda will not be a reason to close anything, but TikTok is a growing source of information for citizens in the West. The Biden campaign has a prominent TikTok account.
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In this framework, the Spanish columnist wonders “if there were to be a war over Taiwan, would China pressure TikTok to promote or hide a type of video? Or to interfere in a very competitive presidential election in the United States, like the ones next year.” November?”.
This year there was a controversy, which many congressmen took into account when voting on the law, because a rumor spread – it is not clear that it is supported by data, after successive scrutiny – that more pro-Palestinian information was seen on that platform than pro-Israel, after the start of the Gaza war. The New York Times even published a widely circulated chart comparing the thorny issues for China on Reels and TikTok:
The US government has not provided evidence that TikTok manipulates its platform, although some congressmen have hinted that they have seen interesting confidential material. China has been blocking American companies in its country for years. Neither Google nor Facebook or Instagram are there.
This same week, Apple has removed WhatsApp and Threads, two Meta applications, from its Chinese store. The reason? “Concern for their national security,” according to the American multinational.
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Is there another solution?
There are always other solutions. The Chinese government has given itself the right to veto TikTok’s secret sauce, the famous algorithm that recognizes users’ tastes so well.. This Thursday The Information published that TikTok is considering selling the app, but without its algorithm: it will sell only the brand and the audience. It would be like buying Coca Cola without its formula.
TikTok launched the so-called Texas Project, together with Oracle, to ensure that Americans’ data stayed on servers in the country. But he hasn’t convinced anyone. If China wanted Americans’ data, there is an unregulated advertising market where they can pay and find whatever they want.
So, the specialist suggests, it is complex, but not that complex. “India had 200 million users on TikTok and closed the app overnight. The reason was, more clearly, also national security: they were at war with China on the border”remember.
The huge Indian market closed its doors to TikTok due to political conflicts between both countries.
Since then, There are more Indians in Reels and many others who simply are not in any. In Afghanistan and Pakistan it is also banned. Many other countries limit their downloads on official cell phones.
Tiktok’s other conflict front is with Europe. The European Commission has its own battle with the Chinese giant over an app launched in tests in Spain and France called TikTok Lite. The app rewards users who watch a lot of videos or invite other users with cents.
Brussels believes that it can be addictive and dangerous for minors. So European authorities have asked TikTok to certify that they know what they are doing. At the moment they have not responded and continue negotiating. Meanwhile, the platform has suspended the activity of the new app.
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