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Wait, TikTok is back in the US after a 14-hour ban

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While TikTok might seem like nothing more than a breeding ground for viral dances, impossibly niche jokes, and beauty trends, US users grappled with just how important it is to them after the app was banned for around 14 hours.

Whispers of potential restrictions on the app have been circulating for months, with the social media giant officially stopping operations in the US by January 19, unless the Supreme Court stops or delays the law mandating its sale by its Chinese parent company, ByteDance. After less than 24 hours of the ban coming into effect, however, President elect Donald Trump reversed it, with US users flooding back to TikTok.

So what does it all mean? Everything you need to know about a potential ban of TikTok in the US, below.

 

Why does America want to ban TikTok?

It's all got to do with the app's parent company, Chinese-owned ByteDance. Back in April, President Joe Biden signed a bill into law that requires ByteDance to sell the social media app’s US operations or face a ban. The forced sale is based on fears that the Chinese government could enlist ByteDance to hand over data from TikTok's 170 million US users.

It's not the first time the US government have attempted to rid TikTok from American phones. Previously, they've tried to block the app based on national security grounds, however this failed. Donald Trump also attempted to ban the app in 2020 when he was in office.

 

So, will the US ban TikTok?

Donald Trump officially enters office on Monday January 20, and has promised to extend the deadline for ByteDance to sell the app. Trump said this only after the TikTok ban had officially come into effect, with US users receiving a pop-up message when they tried to open the app for around 14 hours. It was also removed from the app store, to prevent new users from downloading it.

 

When would a new TikTok ban come into effect?

The legislation that passed in April gave ByteDance nine months to sell TikTok to a new buyer. This meant TikTok was either forced to sell or shut down in the US by 19 January 2025.

TikTok attempted to argue this ruling in federal court, however the U.S. Court of Appeals and the US Supreme Court have upheld the federal government’s law requiring the app to divest from Chinese parent company ByteDance.

Now, Donald Trump's incoming presidential term looks set to change things. Trump has signalled he will sign an executive order delaying the TikTok ban ,and called for the platform to be taken over by a joint venture with U.S. owners and ByteDance. He will also be able to extend the ban for up to 90 days if ByteDance is making progress toward a sale.

 

Could Australia follow suit?

There is potential for a US TikTok ban to inspire other countries to follow suit.

The Australian government is yet to take a firm stance, however in March 2024, the Coalition called for Australia to follow the US, and instate a ban over Chinese interference concerns.

Currently, TikTok is banned in India (as of June 2020), and is blocked in Iran, Nepal, Afghanistan and Somalia. In the UK and Europe, government and parliamentary workers are banned from using TikTok on their work devices.

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Feature image: Pinterest