How a TikTok ban would work and alternative apps people are using
Share:
TikTok is running out of time to overturn the ban on it in the US, which is due to take effect on Sunday January 19. Earlier in January its Chinese owner, Bytedance, appealed to the supreme court to set aside the ban, arguing that it infringed its free speech rights; however, the court has not yet reached a determination on the issue.
![[Which countries have banned TikTok? France bans platform in New Caledonia amid violent riots]](https://static.standard.co.uk/2023/02/24/13/0912e52c7c8acee14f8656ccc8cbdf86Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNjc3MzMxMTQ5-2.48304514.jpg?crop=8:5,smart&quality=75&auto=webp&width=960)
The ban was signed into law by Joe Biden after being passed by Congress in April, and gave Bytedance until January to find a buyer for app or see it closed down in the US. The law was passed in response to national security concerns relating to the app, which include fears that it could be used to spread Chinese government propaganda.
The situation is further complicated by the involvement of Donald Trump, who supported a ban in 2020 but has now changed his mind after finding the video-sharing app was an effective way of reaching voters. He has asked the supreme court to stay the ban until after he takes office on January 20.
There have also been rumours that TikTok could be sold to Elon Musk who already owns the X platform (formerly Twitter). But why was the ban proposed in the first place, when would it be introduced and what are the alternatives to the app that some Americans are using?.
Arguments were made before the supreme court by Bytedance and TikTok citing free speech rights on Friday January 10, with opponents focusing predominantly on national security risks. US policymakers and officials are concerned about the potential for the misuse of personal data and the risk of espionage or other malicious activities.
