TikTok, the social media app that has taken the world by storm, has come under scrutiny in recent months due to its controversial ownership and its culpability in the spread of misinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and other important topics. As a result, several universities in the United States have already implemented campus bans against the app ahead of a potential ban across the country.
The app’s popularity has become a matter of national cybersecurity, with U.S. lawmakers expressing concern over the security risk that TikTok presents. TikTok is owned by Chinese tech company ByteDance, which is reportedly bound by Chinese law to provide information about its customers to law enforcement if requested. This policy potentially puts the privacy and security of all of TikTok’s users at risk.
If a nationwide ban on TikTok were to be implemented, there would be several consequences. NBC News speculates that the White House could issue a mandate for app stores to prohibit TikTok from being available to download, and there would also be no more software updates, save for possible functions that may make the app more difficult to use. Phones that already have the app installed may still work, but it is unknown whether or not the app itself would allow users to continue posting or interacting with new content. The ban could also emulate the restrictions already active in India, where the app has ceased functioning altogether in accordance with the nationwide ban.
It is important to note, however, that even with a ban on TikTok, citizens’ data remains very much at risk, and getting rid of this app in particular would only be a drop in the bucket. In other words, there are many other apps and platforms that also pose a risk to users’ privacy and security.
As the fate of TikTok in the United States remains uncertain, it is important to consider the potential consequences of a ban. While it may address some concerns about national cybersecurity, it is not a foolproof solution and may only be the beginning of a larger conversation about the risks associated with social media and technology more broadly.
