A blow to ByteDance’s owned popular social media platform, TikTok, comes in the form of a ban it faced in the United States when the Supreme Court upheld its order. This ban is as a result of a law that Congress passed last year dubbed the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act. The order was such that would remove the application from Google’s Play Store and Apple’s App Store, and therefore, would send a very crucial message to its users: millions.
App Pulled From Stores Before Official Ban Hits
Hours before its official implementation, TikTok was sending users both on Android and iOS an in-app message stating, “A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the US.”
A ray of hope: Trump vows to solve
Then, in an unexpected twist, President-elect Donald Trump announced plans to work on a solution to revive the app. The message on the app suggested that indeed there may be some compromise after all, citing that Trump “has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office.” For many creators and users, this statement brought hope with Trump’s Inauguration only a day away.
TikTok’s Comeback
The incident happened shortly after the Trump’s remarks. Reports came out stating that TikTok was again available in some parts of the US. AP said that the app worked on multiple devices on Saturday afternoon after eradicating the limitations of pop-up restrictions. It also put out a statement on social media and hinted that the conflict would soon be over.
Difficulty for ByteDance and Users
The temporary relief is not sufficient to enable ByteDance for TikTok’s perpetuation in the US. President-elect Trump proposed an extension of 90 days, pending ByteDance’s initiation of the process of divesting its US operations. In the absence of a satisfactory buyer, TikTok’s future in the US is uncertain.
In the meantime, people have turned to alternatives such as RedNote, an app based in China. But with RedNote storing data in uncertain ways, the replacement for TikTok is not an easy one to find.
VPNs: An Unreliable Solution
Some users have resorted to VPN apps to try and bypass the ban on TikTok. According to reports from USA Today, though, this is not a reliable means of accessing TikTok. So far, TikTok seems to have been fully removed from the app stores, leaving users with no clear direction on how to regain access.
Conclusion: The Road Ahead for TikTok
TikTok’s exit from the US market underscores the deepening concern regarding national security and data privacy. The promise from President-elect Trump might offer some light, but for ByteDance, a future of TikTok in the US would have to pass the gauntlet of difficult regulatory and operational issues. Time will tell whether it is back in or permanently excluded from the country.
For millions of creators and users, the clock is ticking, and the future of TikTok hangs in the balance.
