TikTok has been given an ultimatum by the United States to either sell the company or shut down, and ByteDance, its Chinese parent company, has 9 months to decide on their next steps. The potential outcomes of this decision are numerous, with TikTok expressing that they see it as a ban and plan to challenge it in court. The Supreme Court may ultimately have the final say, as this issue involves issues of freedom of expression.
The legal process could potentially extend the initial 9-month period, leading to developments beyond 2024. With elections on the horizon, the political landscape may also influence the outcome. For users outside of the US, a TikTok without its large American user base would be a different platform, which could affect trends, challenges and overall content on the app.
There are emerging alternatives to TikTok such as Reels on Instagram and YouTube Shorts that offer a different type of content format. The absence of a clear alternative may result in TikTok users continuing on the platform despite national security concerns around potential manipulation of content, access to user data and geopolitical implications that have fueled debate around regulating TikTok. Other countries have taken actions against TikTok for similar reasons by banning it in certain regions and there are ongoing discussions with European Commission regarding TikTok Lite in Europe.
Overall, while there is uncertainty about what will happen to TikTok in the future due to legal battles, national security concerns and geopolitical dynamics continue to shape its fate.
