TikTok’s days may be numbered in the United States, but what does that mean for brands that use the channel and exactly when will the channel’s potential ban take effect? Here’s a closer look:
Why TikTok is under fire
President Biden signed into law a bill requiring the sale of TikTok by its Chinese owner or risk a ban on the app in the United States. The bill aims to address concerns over data privacy and national security due to the TikTok’s ties to China.
Proponents of the bill are concerned that the Chinese government can require TikTok’s China-based owner, ByteDance, to share U.S. user data under China’s national security law. There’s also concern that China’s government could use the app to distribute propaganda via the app’s algorithms.
What happens now?
ByteDance is compelled to sell the app to a non-Chinese entity. The sale could affect TikTok’s operations, its user base and partnerships. Users might be concerned about the app’s future and could migrate to alternative platforms.
If ByteDance fails to sell TikTok to a non-Chinese entity, the app could face a ban in the United States. This outcome would significantly impact TikTok’s presence in one of its largest markets, potentially leading to legal challenges and further regulatory scrutiny.
ByteDance has nine months to sell TikTok. Legal challenges from ByteDance – which are expected – could extend that timeline even further.
How will this impact brands?
For now, brands active on TikTok should stay the course. The ban may take more than a year to implement or could be avoided by legal challenges or the sale of TikTok.
In early 2025, if a ban appears unavoidable, future content planned for TikTok can be reevaluated for use on other channels including Instagram Reels, YouTube, Snapchat or other video-based social media channels.
Brands can also plan for an impending ban in 2025 by evaluating existing and emerging social media channels for organic implementation based on the similarity to TikTok, including YouTube, Instagram and Snapchat.
