TikTok has become one of the most popular and fastest growing social media platforms in the world since launching internationally in 2017. The app allows users to create and share short videos of themselves lip synching to music, comedy bits, doing viral challenges, and more. TikTok is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance and has been downloaded over 2 billion times globally as of April 2020, with over 800 million monthly active users (https://backlinko.com/tiktok-users).
TikTok took off quickly among teenagers and young adults with its fun, goofy videos and ease of use. The app’s algorithm is very effective at determining a user’s interests and serving up engaging content. While lots of silly and irreverent videos can be found on TikTok, the platform has also allowed more substantive content to flourish around viral trends, current events, activism, and more.
TikTok’s meteoric growth and Chinese ownership has led to escalating tensions with governments around the world, like India and the United States, over data privacy concerns and censorship. This has resulted in TikTok being banned or facing threats of bans in multiple countries.
Data Privacy Concerns
There have been concerns that TikTok collects large amounts of personal data from its users, which could potentially be accessed by the Chinese government. TikTok has been accused of collecting data such as locations, browsing history, keystrokes and biometric data through its mobile app without the consent of its users, though TikTok has denied these allegations (Kaspersky). Critics argue that the amount of data collected goes beyond what is needed to operate the app. There are also worries that this data could be shared with the Chinese government or stolen by hackers, as the app’s owners ByteDance are based in China.
According to a recent Congressional Research Service report, TikTok’s data collection practices enable “bulk collection and analysis of U.S. citizens’ sensitive personal information” that “poses serious national security risks” (Congressional Research Service). Some of the specific data points collected by TikTok as reported include users’ locations, biometric identifiers, mobile device identifiers, and network information.
While TikTok has asserted that U.S. user data is stored on servers in the U.S. and Singapore, the amount of behind-the-scenes data harvesting has raised bipartisan concern. Critics argue TikTok’s data collection goes beyond what would be reasonably expected for an entertainment app.
Censorship
TikTok has been accused of censoring content and filtering out information that displeases China’s government. For example, in 2020, TikTok was criticized for removing videos made by transgender creators and muting relevant hashtags. According to the BBC, transgender users reported that their videos were taken down within minutes of posting, with vague explanations about violation of community guidelines. This led to accusations that TikTok was censoring LBGTQ content. There have also been reports of TikTok suppressing content related to protests in Hong Kong and criticism of the Chinese government’s treatment of Uyghur Muslims.
Additionally, an investigation by The Guardian in 2020 found that TikTok instructed its moderators to censor videos that mentioned Tiananmen Square, Tibetan independence, or banned religious groups in China. Moderators were told to ban any users that posted this content. These revelations fueled concerns that TikTok was operating as an arm of the Chinese state when it came to censorship and controlling narratives.
Given that TikTok’s parent company ByteDance is based in China and must follow Chinese laws and regulations, critics fear the app could be used to limit free speech and spread Chinese propaganda abroad. TikTok’s opaque censorship policies have made governments wary about allowing unfettered use of the app within their borders.
India Bans TikTok
In June 2020, the Indian government banned TikTok along with 58 other Chinese apps citing national security concerns [1]. This came amid rising tensions between India and China after a military clash along their disputed border. India has a population of over 1.4 billion people, making it TikTok’s largest market at the time.
The main reasons given for the ban were concerns over data privacy and censorship. India feared that user data was being illegally collected and shared with the Chinese government. There were also worries that TikTok was censoring content that was critical of China [2]. The ban cut off access to TikTok for hundreds of millions of users in India.
US Threatens Ban
In 2020, the Trump administration raised national security concerns about TikTok and threatened to ban the app in the United States. President Trump signed an executive order in August 2020 prohibiting transactions with TikTok’s parent company ByteDance, claiming the data collected by TikTok “threatens to allow the Chinese Communist Party access to Americans’ personal and proprietary information — potentially allowing China to track the locations of Federal employees and contractors, build dossiers of personal information for blackmail, and conduct corporate espionage.” Executive Order on Addressing the Threat Posed by TikTok.
TikTok Sale
In an effort to avoid getting banned in the US, TikTok pursued a deal to sell its US operations to an American company. In August 2020, Microsoft emerged as a top contender to purchase TikTok’s US business in a deal potentially worth billions of dollars (Reuters, 2021). However, the negotiations became complicated when China updated its export rules around technologies like TikTok’s recommendation algorithm. This led ByteDance to opt for a different type of deal.
In September 2020, ByteDance reached a deal with Oracle and Walmart to turn TikTok into a global business based in the US, with Oracle providing cloud services and Walmart offering e-commerce support (BBC, 2022). But the deal still needed approval from both the US and Chinese governments. In the end, the deal fell through after facing ongoing opposition from US regulators. With Joe Biden taking office, the TikTok sale was no longer deemed necessary to mitigate national security risks.
China’s Response
The Chinese government opposed the forced sale of TikTok and responded by banning the app within mainland China. According to the Associated Press, China lashed out at the U.S. for banning TikTok, describing the ban as an abuse of state power and suppression of Chinese tech firms. Chinese authorities claimed the forced sale was “open bullying” and signaled China would defend its interests. China had initially allowed TikTok’s predecessor Douyin to be available in mainland China, but later banned it in 2018 as part of tighter regulations on streaming apps. The Chinese version Douyin continues to be widely used within China.
Impact on Users
The ban in China has had a major impact on TikTok users within the country. Over the past few years, TikTok has grown immensely in popularity among Chinese citizens, particularly younger generations. At the time of the ban, TikTok had an estimated 250 million daily active users in China (https://www.reuters.com/technology/nepal-govt-decides-ban-chinas-tiktok-ani-2023-11-13/). With the app no longer available, these users have lost access to a platform that allowed them to express themselves creatively, find entertainment, and connect with others.
For many young people in China, TikTok was their primary social media platform and a major source of daily entertainment. The ban cuts them off from funny videos, popular memes, and the online creators they followed. Chinese TikTok users can no longer create or share their own videos on a platform tailored for short viral content. This is a major loss in access to creative outlets for self-expression.
While some users may migrate to alternative platforms, no app has yet filled the unique niche held by TikTok in China. The social connections, culture, and community around sharing videos cannot easily be replicated elsewhere. For the millions who had come to rely on TikTok as part of their daily lives, the ban represents a disruption in habits, entertainment, and social networking.
Broader Implications
The bans and attempted bans of TikTok set a precedent for greater technology nationalism and protectionism. Countries are increasingly willing to restrict or ban foreign tech companies over data privacy and national security concerns. This could lead to further fragmentation of the global internet if more countries pursue policies restricting cross-border data flows and foreign tech firms. For example, the US ban of TikTok has led to speculation that other countries may retaliate by banning major US tech companies.
Some experts argue this tech nationalism is counterproductive, undermining an open internet and free trade. Restricting TikTok’s global growth could motivate China to pursue tit-for-tat retaliation. However, governments increasingly view certain technologies as critical infrastructure requiring regulation, even if that comes at the expense of an integrated global internet.
The TikTok saga highlights how data and algorithms are viewed as power. It represents a new era where technology is at the center of geopolitical tensions. Countries recognize user data concentrated in the hands of foreign tech giants as a source of economic and political influence. This is driving policies to exert more control over data flows and technology governance.
Conclusion
In summary, China’s decision to ban TikTok domestically while still allowing ByteDance to offer it abroad points to several key motivations. First and foremost was data privacy – the Chinese government grew concerned over the large volume of user data TikTok was compiling on Chinese citizens and wanted to limit its access. However, banning TikTok also gave China leverage in trade negotiations with the US, as they could threaten to retaliate by banning US tech firms. More broadly, the TikTok saga highlights China’s growing influence over global technology, even as the government restricts what its own citizens can access. While politically motivated, the TikTok ban ultimately served China’s interests by addressing data security risks while also asserting their regulatory authority over foreign tech companies operating in China.
