TikTok May Be Banned. So, what?

Written by The Working Gal Team ~ Category: Food for Thought ~ Read Time: 4 min.

Many thanks to the Digital Marketing Agency, EDL Services, for their useful insights in writing this article.


The future of the most popular social media platform, TikTok, seems ominous, considering it’s a matter of days before it’s completely banned from the US. The Supreme Court is heading towards banning the platform from the country unless its China-based owner, ByteDance, doesn't sell off its U.S. operation by Jan. 19.

The argument behind this decision is based primarily on national security concerns, given that TikTok collects vast amounts of user data, including browsing history, location data, and potentially sensitive personal information that could be handed to the Chinese government with all the consequences that entails. 

And the consequences can be harmful to the US. According to the [National Intelligence Law of 2017](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NationalIntelligenceLawofthePeople'sRepublicofChina), companies are required to "support, assist, and cooperate" with the Chinese national intelligence work; hence, the companies can be forced to share their data with the Chinese government. This broad phrasing raises concerns that ByteDance could be legally obligated to provide user data to Chinese authorities upon request. This data could potentially be used to identify individuals, track their movements, and monitor their online activities and could also lead to censorship and manipulation by using TikTok's algorithm to control the flow of information to US users, promote favorable to the Chinese government interests and be a tool for propaganda and disinformation within the US.

And these reasons are highly legitimate and make total sense. So, what’s the big deal, one could argue.

Well, the answer is not so simple considering that TikTok represents a significant portion of the US population, with over 170 million monthly active users in the US. Americans love TikTok, and the statistics prove that. According to Backlinko, US adult users spend an average of 53.8 minutes per day on TikTok, and the number keeps growing, considering that between 2021 and 2023, the share of U.S. adults saying they use it rose from 21% to 33%.

tiktok icon

In simple words, TikTok is one of the most popular platforms in the US, used not only for entertainment purposes but also for business. That translates to a substantial amount of contribution to the US economy. According to Oxford Economics reports these channels, our economic,2023, while supporting 224,000 jobs.) SMB activity on TikTok contributed $24.2bn to GDP in the US in 2023, while supporting 224,000 jobs. With nearly 5 million American businesses having a presence on the app, the adoption of TikTok as a business tool is widespread by businesses of all sizes.

Not to mention the many creators and influencers monetizing their content on the platform. TikTok has offered a unique opportunity for people who like making videos to make money from it—a lot of money in many cases. Influencers prefer TikTok because it generally has higher engagement rates than other platforms. This makes them highly valuable for brands since they shape trends and drive consumer behavior in the US. So, a potential ban could severely harm creators who rely on the platform for income and livelihood, and they could face significant challenges. Businesses as well that utilize TikTok for advertising and marketing would need to find alternative platforms, potentially at higher costs which could impact their income and marketing allocation. Given that TikTok is a significant platform for e-commerce activities, a ban could disrupt sales and marketing efforts for businesses reliant on this channel.

Banning TikTok does not only affect users and businesses; this ban could set a precedent for the US government to ban other foreign-owned technology companies, raising concerns about free trade and competition and potentially acting as an obstacle for investments in such platforms in the future, having a significant impact on innovation.

And let’s not neglect the fact that TikTok is a means of entertainment for many, and its absence would diminish entertainment options, disrupt social connections, and alter the landscape of online culture. User behavior and social interactions could undergo significant changes.

According to the Pew Research Center ,public opinion regarding a government ban on TikTok has shifted, and people are less likely to favor a government ban on TikTok now. 

The Bright Side

tiktok ban 2025

While the economic and social impact of a potential TikTok ban could really harm the financial status of many and disrupt the balance among many businesses, marketing, and PR teams, it clearly has positive aspects, in case this happens.

Apart from the national security issues, which are undoubtedly substantial, a ban could potentially lead to increased awareness and focus on data privacy and security among users; this might be a chance for them to understand the importance of data security and the consequences, both in an individual as well as national level when those are compromised. It could also encourage the development of alternative social media platforms with stronger privacy protections and data security measures and enable the existing platforms to pay more attention to security matters.  

Social media, in general, and TikTok as well have been widely scolded for promoting unhealthy behaviors, patterns, and body image issues, and it has been associated with mental health concerns around the world. Maybe one less source of such matters could help eliminate the dangers of social media —or mitigate it to the other platforms. 

Nobody knows what could actually happen in a few days; however, no matter the result, we sure live in a fast-paced and very innovative world and both the government and businesses, along with their marketing teams, will find a way to continue producing significant results and keep the users interested.

It took 3 coffees to write this article.


About the author

The Working Gal Team

Here, at the Working Gal, we love collaboration! For this reason, we sit down and brainstorm all together and write some articles for you!

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