What Happens Next With The TikTok Ban, And How Are Users Responding?

2024 has brought a slew of radical changes to the internet and meme culture, but it's possible the most significant of these will be the one which happened this week: The United States government has passed a bill which will likely ban TikTok. The platform famous for brainrot memes and Zoomer dancing has been caught in the whirlpool of great power conflict and global politics.

So, what's actually going on with this bill and what will happen next?

What Is The TikTok Ban Bill?

The TikTok Ban Bill, called the "Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act," is an act of the United States Congress mandating that social media platforms and applications which are controlled by "adversaries" be transferred to American ownership. In practice, the bill addresses TikTok and orders that it be sold to an American company or else be banned from the American market.

The original version of the bill which passed the House of Representatives in March 2024, gave a six-month period for TikTok to complete the sale, but the version which passed the Senate and was signed by the President in April gave a nine to twelve-month period for the sale to take place.

Does China Really Control TikTok?

Yes. While TikTok is not formally a subsidiary of the Chinese government, in practice Chinese tech companies are not allowed to say no to their government if it asks for data or for them to do something. Further, the potential power of TikTok to boost or demote content in its algorithm is disturbing to the United States, especially since (like most social media algorithms) TikTok's is a black box. Members of Congress who voted for the bill have suggested they have access to information that TikTok does pose a national security threat.

China has indicated that it will not allow TikTok to be sold to an American company, nor will it allow the sale of TikTok's algorithm to a foreign company.

What Do The Bill's Opponents Think?

Some opponents of the bill argue it places too much power in the hands of the United States government, setting a precedent through which reasons of "national security" could be used to shut down major internet platforms. First Amendment defenders question the muffling effect which a TikTok ban might have on political speech in the United States, making it more difficult for people to access alternative perspectives and speak their minds.

Some, like Meredith Whittaker, the President of the encrypted messaging app Signal, argue there is no evidence that U.S. control will make (TikTok) meaningfully better in any way.

Others deeply adore the app, and dread seeing it exit their lives.

When Will It Actually Take Effect?

The bill gives TikTok nine months to sell to an American company, a period which the President can extend by an additional three months if he chooses. This puts the end of TikTok in January of 2025, just after the 2024 presidential elections. However, given that many groups and individuals have promised to sue, it is possible a ban would be held off or at least delayed by legal action.

This is what happened to Donald Trump's 2020 TikTok ban executive order, which was halted by the courts before it could become official.

How Is TikTok Responding To The Bill?

TikTok has promised to fight the bill and shows no indication of willingness to sell itself to an American company. In a defiant post on Wednesday, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew declared the company would "prevail again" in the court system.

Chew and others on the platform have also pointed towards the economic consequences of a TikTok ban, since many Americans make their income and run their businesses using TikTok. Additionally, the platform has been central to online discourse and internet culture over the past few years, and ending TikTok would disrupt and alter what has been the defining platform for 2020s memes so far.

For the full history of the TikTok bill and previous U.S. efforts to ban TikTok, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.