As Donald Trump took office, the TikTok ban was briefly enforced in the US. Following a ruling by outgoing government, TikTok would be removed from all stores, preventing US users from downloading or accessing the app.

Why was TikTok banned?

The US government banned the Chinese entertainment app following concerns that the owner, Bytedance, may be sharing personal data with the Chinese government. A new US law ordered Bytedance to sell the app or it would be banned.

Unfortunately for Bytedance, the app was not sold in time, so the ban came into effect. Almost overnight, 170 million users were locked out of the platform.

What happened next

Reacting to citizens’ concerns, incoming President Donald Trump lifted the ban. Bytedance has now been given a 75-day extension, meaning they have until April 5th to complete a sale.

With the extension in place, Tiktok was restored to the mobile stores, allowing US users to download and use the app once more – at least until April 5th. Since then, the American government has been trying to negotiate a sale with various individuals and corporations. Microsoft was named among the potential buyers.

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Is that the end of the TikTok ban saga?

Claims about the Chinese government using TikTok to spy on users have been circulating for years. Most western countries have banned their elected representatives and officials from using the app on government-issued devices for instance.

In the event that Bytedance cannot find a buyer, the TikTok ban is likely to be reinstated. Should this happen, it is highly likely that other countries will follow suit.

Members of the Five Eyes intelligence sharing group comprising USA, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, typically follow each other’s leads in matters of security. If the US chooses to completely ban TikTok, the UK will probably follow suit eventually. 

Huawei devices were banned from US government facilities because of similar Chinese spying concerns. The UK then implemented a similar ban, followed by the other Five Eyes member states. This pattern has been repeated many times in the past, and it is quite common for other countries to follow suit. Particularly if the foreign policy of a key trading partner, like the US, demands it.

On borrowed time?

As things stand, TikTok is on borrowed time in the US. Unless a sale can be organized in the next few weeks, TikTok may once again be removed from US app stores. And if the ban becomes permanent, TikTok may disappear for millions more users across the world.