TikTok is facing a new crisis in the US when Washington passed a ban on this social network from the market if parent company ByteDance cannot resell the platform to other businesses.
According to CNN, this move is not only a painful blow to China's technological ambitions, but also deepens the divide in the digital world between today's two leading economic superpowers.
The US Senate recently passed a law forcing ByteDance to sell TikTok or face a ban in the US. President Joe Biden once announced that when the bill is passed by both chambers and appears on his desk at the White House, he will sign it. True to his statement, the US leader recently signed a foreign aid package and a law banning TikTok.
President Joe Biden has signed a law banning TikTok
In response to this result, TikTok announced that it would bring the case to court. Beijing had previously emphasized its vehement opposition to the request to force the sale of TikTok. But currently there are very few options left to ensure the safety of the platform's future in the US - the largest market with 170 million users.
“Requiring the sale of TikTok in the US would be a setback for the app because the Chinese government certainly does not approve of selling its algorithm. If TikTok is forced to close in the US, it is possible that ByteDance will be more closely monitored in other countries," said Alex Capri - researcher at the Hindrich Foundation and lecturer at the College of Business (part of National University). Singaporean) said.
The US Congress decided to force TikTok to cut off Chinese links
Banning TikTok in the US, or allowing a lower quality version to exist (due to Beijing blocking the sale of important algorithms), could be an opportunity for a series of other competitors such as YouTube, Google, Instagram... when Many users and customers will "jump" off this platform to find a new destination. This also dealt a blow to ByteDance's global ambitions.
“The ban could be the end of ByteDance's global expansion plan as it is seen as a sign that Beijing values algorithm security more than ByteDance's prosperity and growth,” the expert said. said analyst and founder of research company Radio Free Mobile - Richard Windsor. He believes that this has the consequence that the ongoing ideological struggle in the technology industry will become more fierce.
According to Capri, the TikTok ban also has the potential to accelerate changes that are dividing the world's technology landscape into two blocks: one focused on the US and the other focused on technology from China.
TikTok has about 170 million users in the US, which is the company's largest market today
“The move against TikTok in the US is another step towards not only the platform economy divide between Chinese and Western apps, but more broadly the division of the entire world technology landscape. This includes everything from who owns and operates data centers, to internet satellites in space, undersea cables and of course semiconductors,” he said.
US officials and lawmakers have long expressed deep concerns about TikTok, citing potential threats to national security, including ByteDance's ability to share data with the Chinese government. Nationalities, or manipulate the content displayed on the platform. Of course, TikTok quickly denied the above accusations.
Not only TikTok but in general, Chinese companies and operating their applications in the US are facing increasing challenges. Biden's cabinet is consolidating a new office at the Commerce Department to enforce Trump-era rules protecting America's information technology supply chain, including connected and capable applications. can be used to promote further restrictions.
