
TikTok
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TikTok's status in the United States took a dramatic turn this past weekend as the platform faced an abrupt suspension, only to resume operations just hours later.
This situation unfolded against a backdrop of escalating legal and political developments raising concerns about the app's future in the country. With ownership linked to China through its parent company, ByteDance, TikTok’s fate became a significant point of tension as users encountered notifications of a newly enacted law banning the app in the US. On Saturday night, the rapid suspension led to TikTok’s removal from both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, affecting approximately 170 million American users.
Tensions had been mounting when TikTok warned on Friday that it might have to cease operations unless President Joe Biden assured the app’s continued presence. This urgency was heightened by a recent US Supreme Court ruling mandating ByteDance to divest its ownership of TikTok to an American entity or face an impending national ban. The potential implications of a TikTok shutdown would ripple through the US economy, particularly impacting small businesses that rely on the platform for marketing.
TikTok reports that by November 2024, over 7 million accounts were utilized for business purposes, with shutdown predictions estimating losses of approximately 1.3 billion in revenue within just one month. Nearly 2 million content creators could also face significant adverse effects, with estimated income losses of around 1.3 billion in revenue within just one month. In reaction to the shutdown, discontent surged across various social media platforms as users voiced their grievances.
Influencers like Emily Senn, who has a following of 340,000, shared emotional farewell videos, expressing frustration towards governmental intervention. Business owners, such as Alejandro Flores-Munoz, conveyed deep concerns over the repercussions on their operations, highlighting the vital role that TikTok plays in enabling them to connect with customers at reduced marketing costs.
The turmoil was temporarily resolved when President-elect Donald Trump announced he would sign an executive order on Monday allowing TikTok to continue operating for an additional 90 days. In a message on Truth Social, Trump indicated that this order would protect any companies assisting TikTok from legal liability and expressed a preference for the US to secure a 50 percent stake in a joint venture arrangement with the app’s current or future owners.