TikTok operates as if there is no ban in the US

Chinese platforms are present in many important events in the US, as well as becoming an indispensable part of the country's culture.

Influencers are active at the Cannes Film Festival. Photo: NYT .

Just six months ago, TikTok’s future in the United States seemed doomed. The Supreme Court upheld a federal law requiring the app to be sold from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, or face a ban. TikTok even took a half-day hiatus.

But recently, this platform with more than 100 million American users has been present at an important event, to the point that the NYT commented that the prospect of collapse is only a distant dream. Many TikTokers have also expanded into other fields from their reputation on the platform. This shows the influence that TikTok has deeply penetrated into social life.

Attend many important events

Last week, TikTok, which is still Chinese-owned, set up a large campus at the luxury Carlton Hotel during the annual Cannes Lions advertising festival. The space, called “TikTok Garden,” will host advertisers, creators and fans.

TikTok CEO Shou Chew met with creators, who later posted about the hotel meetings. The company also sponsored some of its most popular creators to come to Cannes during the week of the event, including @ReesaTeesa , who is known for her romantic video series that is being turned into a TV show, and a comedian named @AdamW .

Meanwhile, fans lined up to attend TikTok’s nightly party series, and meet their favorite creators. Other TikTok executives took a boat to a restaurant with media people, and played pickleball with at least one content creator.

The TikTok logo is located in the middle of the luxurious Carlton Hotel. Photo: NYT.

According to the NYT, these activities show TikTok's careful calculation to overcome pressure from Washington while maintaining its appeal to advertisers, content creators and more than 1 billion global users. Last week, President Trump said he signed an executive order extending TikTok's search for a new owner by 90 days, until mid-September.

Cannes is one of the world's largest and most prestigious film festivals. TikTok joined the event in May as an official partner. Last year, nearly two weeks after President Biden signed a law banning TikTok, Shou Chew attended the Met Gala as a co-chair.

Craig Brommers, chief marketing officer of American Eagle Outfitters, said in an interview in Cannes that people knew about the ban but didn’t seem to care. “Nobody was talking about it. Everyone was just kind of moving on,” he said.

TikTok only briefly addressed the issue during its press conference. Khartoon Weiss, the company’s vice president of global business solutions, called the ban a big problem that everyone saw but no one wanted to talk about, and said the platform was “absolutely confident that there will be a solution.”

Deeply rooted in American society

As a daily platform used by many Americans, especially Gen Z and Alpha, TikTok is where they express themselves, share their creative products such as music , memes, trends. Banning TikTok is like "disconnecting" from a part of this generation.

In many cases, TikTok has become an alternative search engine to Google or YouTube. News, newspapers, and even the 2024 US presidential campaign have moved their content here to reach young voters.

It has also become a part-time income platform for many people, even their full-time job. Advertising revenue, as well as the intention to invest in TikTok, is predicted to increase. Brands spent a total of $4.8 billion on TikTok in the US in 2024, up 27% from the previous year.

Additionally, TikTok has served as a launching pad for many creators to branch out into other areas. Jack Innanen, a TikTok comedy creator who stars in FX’s new series i Adults , believes the lines between new and traditional media are blurring.

TikTok star Jack Innanen has branched out into television. Photo: FX Productions.

“I think you won’t see many pure actors anymore. Anyone who wants to be an actor will have done something online,” he said. It’s not just Hollywood, but American record labels and television networks are having to adjust to the platform’s algorithms.

Many artists, when writing music, dedicate a 15-second segment to catch a trend on TikTok. Singer Doja Cat once shared on livestream that she knows which segments will "hit" on the platform.

Adam Waheed, a creator who goes by the name Adam W on TikTok, shared his fears about the ban in January. He has already created other channels on YouTube and Facebook, but still thinks TikTok's algorithm and trending capabilities are unique.

Source: https://znews.vn/tiktok-hoat-dong-nhu-khong-co-lenh-cam-o-my-post1563371.html