
US officials have long feared that the widely popular short-form video app could be used as a means of espionage. Today we will discuss about when is tiktok getting banned: Supreme Court announces decision.
when is tiktok getting banned: Supreme Court announces decision
The US Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the law banning TikTok in the US has frustrated millions of users across the country – many of whom make money through its use.
But lawmakers argued that the social media app’s ties to China are a national security threat.
TikTok challenged the law in court, arguing it would violate free speech protections for its more than 170 million users in the US.
The country’s highest court unanimously rejected the claim, meaning TikTok will now have to find an approved buyer for the US version of the app or face removal from app stores and web hosting services.
One TikTok user told BBC News the decision was like “going to work and your office building disappears”.
While the ban is legally scheduled to begin on Sunday, the Biden administration said it would leave enforcement on the matter to incoming President Donald Trump, who takes office on Monday.
Trump, who pushed for a sale or ban of TikTok in 2020, has vowed to make a decision regarding the platform in the “not too distant future.” Since his election victory, he has indicated that he would like to maintain the shortform video app’s presence in the US – seemingly putting TikTok’s future in jeopardy.
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Supreme Court announces decision
TikTok has been in this position before: In August 2020, then-President Trump signed an executive order directing ByteDance to sell the firm within 90 days or face sanctions.
At the time, ByteDance founder Zhang Yiming faced heavy criticism in China for hinting that he might sell TikTok’s US operations by agreeing to a deal with US tech firm Oracle.
Users of the popular Chinese social network Weibo nicknamed him “Zhang the Kneeler”, believing that he has shown weakness and lacks the courage to stand up to the US.
He stepped down as chief executive of the firm in May 2021 and there were perceptions that he never got support domestically after facing this challenge.
So this time, there is confidence in China that TikTok will not be sold in a last-minute deal.
Ross Smith, 32, of Ohio runs the account @rosssmith, where he makes comedy videos with his 98-year-old grandmother.grandmother.
Speaking to the BBC about the potential ban, Ross said: “Imagine you’re going to work and your office building disappears.”
He said that “a lot of people” have built their careers through TikTok, including people he hired to manage his channel. He said TikTok has been a “very attractive” platform because of brand deals and the app’s store.
On TikTok, people new to content creation can sometimes “find success overnight,” he said.
Ross also praised TikTok’s “For You Page”, the platform’s personalized homepage that recommends content based on what users have previously engaged with.
“They changed the algorithm game,” he said. “He rarely did anything wrong.”
After experiencing the collapse of video-sharing app Vine in 2017, Ross said he learned not to “put all your eggs in one basket” – or put all your comedy skits on one platform – because “it’s over overnight. It is possible”.
If TikTok goes away, it will be available on other platforms.
Ever since President Trump began raising concerns about TikTok in 2019, fear over the fast-growing and extremely popular app has spread around the world.
It is banned on the devices of government employees, civil servants or military personnel in many countries, including the US, UK, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Estonia, France, Netherlands, Norway, Taiwan, and the United States.
The Czech cybersecurity watchdog even warned members of the public against using TikTok.
There have also been other public sector decisions such as when Denmark’s public broadcaster banned employees from having TikTok on their work phones. The BBC also issued a similar warning to its staff but it was never implemented.
Other countries such as India, Pakistan and Afghanistan have banned it on the basis of morality or child protection reasons.
These are unlikely to be affected by restrictions as these are political and cultural decisions. But the US Supreme Court decision further highlights security concerns about the app and could lead to increased restrictions in other countries.
Or — what seems more likely — is that incoming President Trump will defund TikTok and the same security fears could fester elsewhere. There is too much at stake with one stroke of Trump’s pen.