On April 24, US President Joe Biden signed a bill that would ban TikTok if owner ByteDance does not sell the app.
The bill requires ByteDance to close the transaction within nine months, with a 90-day extension available to complete the transaction. After this deadline, the US will prohibit app stores from listing the app.
TikTok will challenge this decision in court, leading to a lengthy legal battle. However, many countries around the world had already banned the app, and ByteDance had no chance to reinstate it. These moves impacted ByteDance's operations, creators, and startups related to the creator economy in these countries.
Here's how these bans are playing out in other markets.
India: This is probably the most well-known TikTok ban, as India is one of the world's largest consumer markets. In June 2020, the Indian government banned the short video app along with many other Chinese apps, citing national security reasons. His other popular app Helo from ByteDance was also included in the list of banned apps at the time.
Working Journalists of India (WJI) members hold placards asking people to remove Chinese apps and stop using Chinese products during a demonstration against the Chinese newspaper Global Times in New Delhi on June 30, 2020. – TikTok denies information sharing on June 30 After New Delhi banned the hugely popular app, citing national security and privacy concerns, it opened negotiations with the Chinese government for users in India.
The company, which is owned by China's ByteDance, said: “TikTok continues to comply with all data privacy and security requirements under Indian law, and any information about its users in India is not shared with foreign governments, including the Chinese government. We haven't shared it.” (Photo Credit: Prakash SINGH/AFP) (Photo Credit: PRAKASH SINGH/AFP, Getty Images)
Afghanistan: In 2022, the Taliban banned TikTok along with PlayerUnkown's Battleground (PUBG) for “misleading the youth.” In February, Wired reported that many creators in the country were using VPNs to create videos and reach different audiences through TikTok. The report noted that TikTok users in Afghanistan are estimated to be between 325,000 and 2 million. Uzbekistan: Uzbekistan has placed restrictions on the use of TikTok in the country since July 2021. In 2022, lawmakers proposed a complete ban after several people used VPNs to access the service. Senegal: In August 2023, Senegal blocked TikTok following the ruling of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko. Citizens used the platform to register their opposition, which led to the ban. In October, authorities required ByteDance to create a way for authorities to delete accounts. Somalia: Somalia banned TikTok along with Telegram and gambling site 1xBet around the same time as Senegal. However, Somali authorities claimed that these platforms were used to “spread horrific content and misinformation to the population.” Kyrgyzstan: August 2023 was not a great month for TikTok. Kyrgyz authorities also banned the platform, saying it was harmful to “children's health and development.” The country's Culture Ministry added that the teens were attempting to recreate certain videos, posing a risk to lives. Nepal: Nepal banned TikTok in November 2023 after the government determined that the app disrupts “social harmony” and affects “families and social structures.” Authorities are also concerned about the rise in cybercrime on the platform, with local media reporting 1,600 TikTok-related incidents in the past four years. According to the BBC Media Action Report published in 2023, TikTok was the third most popular social media platform in the country after YouTube and Facebook. Other bans: Iran has banned most of the country's major social networks, including TikTok. However, the exact date of the ban is unknown. Separately, several countries and regions have banned TikTok from official devices, including the US, Canada, UK, Belgium, EU, New Zealand, and Australia.
Impact of the ban
Multiple reports have captured the impact of the TikTok ban on creators who relied on the short video platform for reach and even revenue. Many small businesses also use his TikTok to promote their brands in different ways.
India's ban on TikTok was a pivotal moment in many ways, as Instagram rushes to launch its Reels replacement platform in India. A few months later, Meta (then Facebook) launched his Reels in the US. YouTube followed suit and introduced short videos in India.
However, the ban on TikTok also spawned a number of local short video apps. ShareChat, a local social network backed by Twitter and Google, has released Moj. Verse Innovation (parent company of news aggregator DailyHunt) launched Josh, Times Internet launched his MXTakatak, which eventually merged with Moj in 2022. His advertising company InMobi released his Roposo, and other rivals such as Mitron, Cingari, and Trell also tried to capture the market.
A Nepali developer also launched TikTok rival “Ramailo” in November 2023, but its lifespan was short-lived.
With multiple apps, creators have had to invest in placing their content on multiple platforms. Importantly, these platforms may not be pushing short videos to the forefront like his TikTok, and the recommendation algorithms may also be different, potentially causing creators to lose viewers. there is. A similar impact could come as creators scramble to find new platforms for their work, even if it's to avoid the possibility of TikTok's influence weakening under the threat of a ban. It could happen in the US too.
ByteDance was forced to downsize its business due to India's ban on TikTok. Earlier this year, the company's music streaming service Resso was also shut down after the Indian government asked app stores to stop offering the app.
Apart from the impact on creators, digital rights activists have also argued that banning platforms like TikTok stifles free speech. Some of these angles may play out in the US as well, as the government and ByteDance will indulge in a legal battle.
Last year, FCC Commissioner Brendan Kerr said India set a “very important precedent” by banning TikTok in 2020. Kerr said at the time that the United States needs to follow India's lead in removing fraudulent apps.