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With Trump as president, can TikTok in the U.S. survive?

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With Trump as president, can TikTok in the U.S. survive?

As a passionate TikToker with over half a million followers and countless hours spent perfecting my dance moves, lip-syncing skills, and creative content, the ongoing saga of TikTok’s future in the U.S. has me on edge. Four years of uncertainty, legal battles, and political maneuverings have left me feeling like I’m dancing on a tightrope without a safety net.

Since 2020, the future of TikTok within the United States has remained uncertain due to President Donald Trump’s efforts to prohibit the widely used video platform, as he raised national security issues.

For four years, there was a continuous exchange – sometimes contentious – between the app’s Chinese proprietors and the U.S. administration, culminating in a potential ban that was set to be enforced just a day prior to President Trump’s inauguration in January.

A complicating factor: Trump has more recently switched his stance, signing up for TikTok in June and expressing through social media, “If you want to preserve TikTok in the U.S., cast your vote for me.

“We’re not doing anything with TikTok,” he said.

That has given some creators hope.

34-year-old TikTok creator Kat Vera, who shares fitness and automotive content with her 457,000 followers, expressed optimism about the platform’s future after Trump indicated he might delay making a decision regarding TikTok: “Given that Trump has suddenly changed his stance and now seems inclined to postpone judgement on TikTok’s situation, I believe things will turn out all right for us.

However, certain aspects make the app’s situation more complex. According to numerous legal professionals and tech analysts, TikTok’s future remains uncertain.

Things are incredibly confusing right now, I can’t quite make sense of it all,” I find myself saying, echoing the sentiments of Professor Carl Tobias from the University of Richmond.

In April, Biden approved a law initiated by Congress, which mandates that ByteDance, the Chinese proprietors of TikTok, must relinquish their ownership of the app by January 19th, or else risk a ban in the U.S., owing to worries about the app’s connections to China and potential security threats.

Biden can choose to prolong ByteDance’s deadline, yet many legal analysts find this action improbable. If a change in law is desired, it would necessitate approval from Congress, they say. However, others speculate that the issue might be resolved in the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals instead.

In May, TikTok and ByteDance filed a lawsuit against the U.S. government, arguing that the proposed ban infringes upon their 1st Amendment rights to express themselves freely, and that the recently enacted law does not substantiate the claim that TikTok’s Chinese ownership poses potential national security threats.

According to experts, it’s anticipated that the court will render a verdict on this matter next month. Should the court side with TikTok and ByteDance, the law in question would be deemed unconstitutional. Given the incoming Trump administration, it seems unlikely that the government would choose to challenge this decision.

If the court decides against the app and the tech company, they may choose to take their case to the Supreme Court and request a temporary halt on the new law, as suggested by Michael Stovsky, a partner at Benesch Law Firm based in Cleveland.

Stovsky stated that they are likely to petition the court to rule, “We find that the law should not be enforced, and compliance is not necessary until the Supreme Court hears the case.

Representatives for TikTok and the Trump administration did not respond to requests for comment.

In a court document, TikTok and ByteDance stated that they have been attempting to collaborate with the U.S. government’s Committee on Foreign Investment in an effort to alleviate security issues since the year 2019.

According to a 90-page draft contract, it was planned that American tech company Oracle would manage data gathered from U.S. TikTok users. Additionally, the agreement suggested that Oracle would examine TikTok’s code for potential weaknesses and that the platform’s content would undergo independent scrutiny.

If TikTok failed to adhere to the terms, the draft contract implied financial fines and even temporarily halting TikTok’s activities within the US. TikTok and ByteDance expressed confusion as to why the committee eventually decided that the proposed agreement fell short of expectations.

Currently, Trump seems to have shifted his stance on TikTok, possibly due to personal factors and his long-standing dislike for its competitors. Previously, he even referred to himself as a popular figure on the platform.

In a post on Truth Social in March, Trump stated, “If TikTok is removed, Facebook and its CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s company Meta will significantly grow. I don’t want Facebook, who manipulated the last election, to prosper any further. They are indeed adversaries of the people!

Leaders from the Republican party claim that a popular social media platform is suppressing conservative opinions, a charge that the platform denies. It asserts that its rules do not allow for the stifling of any political viewpoints.

Trump, boasting a substantial 14.6 million followers on TikTok, later became a user on the trendy video platform, an occurrence that transpired several months following his encounter with Jeff Yass – ByteDance investor, significant Republican party donor, and co-founder/managing partner of Susquehanna International Group. However, Trump assured CNBC that during their meeting, they did not discuss TikTok.

Individuals who previously worked under the Trump administration are now supporting TikTok’s cause. The conservative economic group, Club for Growth, has recruited former White House advisor Kellyanne Conway to lobby on behalf of TikTok within Congress, as reported by Politico.

However, the Trump administration faces internal disagreements among Republicans regarding TikTok, as some advocates for a tough stance against China are present.

Freddy Tran Nager, from the USC Annenberg’s Digital Social Media master’s program, believes that TikTok might be a significant piece in a broader situation involving trade tariffs with China, security contracts, and more. In essence, he thinks TikTok will play a role in a complex puzzle.

TikTok boasts a substantial influence in Culver City, with around 440 local employees as per city calculations. This popular platform, used by over 170 million Americans, serves as a powerful means for content creators, small businesses, musicians, and even Hollywood production studios to amplify their content.

Back in January, TikTok informed California’s government that they were planning to dismiss 58 staff members based in Culver City, effective from July. The positions being terminated encompassed senior business analyst roles and global product specialist positions due to reorganization.

Multiple content creators have expanded their presence beyond TikTok, ensuring they’re not entirely dependent on it. Some argue that monetization potential is stronger on competing platforms.

Theodora Moutinho, hailing from Glendale and both a fitness visionary and actress, shared her insight that it’s crucial to be flexible in the ever-evolving landscape of social media.

In 2017, this 25-year-old individual stepped into the role of a content creator, and now boasts a significant social media presence. Specifically, she has amassed 4.2 million followers on Instagram, 1.3 million on TikTok, and 421,000 on Snapchat. Currently, she’s dedicating more time to her Snapchat and Instagram platforms, while also monitoring emerging social media networks like Bluesky.

Since there was uncertainty about whether or not TikTok would remain, I’ve found myself not paying much attention to it. The thought is, why invest time in growing something that may eventually be removed? (Moutinho)

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2024-11-22 14:35

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