POV: TikTok being banned in the US - What’s Next?

The Buildup to the Ban

The major social media headline this week has been linked with President Trump and his plan to ban the short-form video platform, TikTok. TikTok, which has exploded during the COVID-19 pandemic, has expanded past appealing to just Gen Z, as older audiences are taking interest in the app.

Just like any other social platform, TikTok has had its share of scrutiny. Privacy concerns with the Chinese company ByteDance (TikTok’s parent company) have arisen, and US officials are concerned that Chinese authorities could potentially be collecting data on Americans - via TikTok. President Trump has stated that TikTok is a threat to national security, and wants the app to be banned in the United States.  

There's also another theory behind President Trump's potential banning of TikTok. Teens on TikTok were rumored to have used the app to mastermind the anti-Trump protest during his rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma in June. These teens registered for tickets to President Trump's rally and had no intention of attending, leading to low attendance.

Whatever the reason may be, there is still a possibility for President Trump to ban the app. If this ban goes through, this will affect viewers, creators, and other social media platforms.

Viewers of TikTok

Especially in the days of the COVID-19 pandemic, where individuals are looking for new hobbies, young people have been turning to TikTok for ideas to fill their time. While viewers are getting ideas for hobbies, from art projects to workouts, they are also spending a large amount of time on the app itself. These viewers have increased their social media time significantly, with viewers spending an average of 52 minutes per day on TikTok without decreasing time on any other social platforms. To fill up lost time if TikTok is banned, viewers will then look to other platforms for short-form content, as well as content from their favorite TikTok influencers.

TikTok Influencers

Over the past few months, TikTok has become a major platform for all types of influencers. Girls like Charli D'AMelio and Addison Rae have become famous practically overnight, from their dancing on TikTok. Influencers have emerged on TikTok with all kinds of content: comedy, music, art, exercise, food and cooking, lifestyle and advice. If TikTok is banned in the US, it is certain that these influencers will find another platform to share content on - whether it is an existing platform, like Instagram or YouTube, or maybe, another short-form video platform will emerge. A lot of influencers have actually turned to YouTube, but some influencers are not sure if they will survive that platform.

Other Social Platforms

In terms of other major social media platforms, they have a void to fill if TikTok goes away. Some social media platforms have been looking to replicate TikTok’s key features with their own apps.  Instagram is testing its app, Reels, and has rolled out versions of the app in France and Germany in late June. Reels allows users to record short, 15-second video clips, set to music or other audio, and share them to Instagram where they have the potential to go viral, according to TechCrunch. Reels also offers a countdown timer, the ability to adjust the video’s speed, and includes a set of editing tools within the app, just like TikTok. Whether Reels will become popular in the absence of TikTok, it is almost certain that a new, short-form video app, or feature, will quickly take its place.

Bidding for Content

While influencers will want to continue making content even if TikTok isn’t around, other social media platforms are vying for a piece of TikTok’s market share. It was reported that Facebook (Instagram’s parent company) is offering money to TikTok creators to join Instagram’s app Reels, surfacing the idea of social platforms bidding for content and influencers and throwing away the idea that “anyone can be an influencer”. This will change the scope of influencers as we know it, as this gives the impression that micro-influencers can only be successful if they are paid by a larger platform, such as Facebook or YouTube.