25/68 Monday, January 20, 2025
TikTok, the globally popular social media platform, has officially announced its shutdown in the United States starting January 19, 2025, following a federal government ban citing national security concerns. In a notification to its users, TikTok stated, “We deeply regret this service disruption and sincerely thank you for your past support. We are doing our best to resume operations in the U.S. as soon as possible.” The ban will impact over 170 million U.S. users, preventing access to TikTok and barring the app from being downloaded on Android and iOS app stores. Additionally, other ByteDance-owned apps, including CapCut, Lemon8, and Gauth, have also been blocked.
This decision follows a unanimous Supreme Court ruling supporting a law requiring ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, to either sell its U.S. operations to an American owner or cease operations in the country. The court expressed concerns over the vast amounts of user data and algorithms potentially being controlled by the Chinese government. The Attorney General stated, “The personal data of Americans is at risk, and this ban is a necessary step to protect national security.” While the federal government asserts that the ban addresses national security concerns, digital rights organizations such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) have voiced their opposition. The EFF argued that comprehensive privacy legislation would be a more appropriate solution. “Banning TikTok could undermine freedom of communication and is contrary to democratic principles,” the organization stated in its release.
While the TikTok ban may present opportunities for American platforms like Instagram and YouTube, there are indications that users might migrate to Chinese-based apps such as RedNote (Xiaohongshu), posing additional challenges for U.S. policymakers. However, there is a possibility that the ban will be delayed by 90 days after Donald Trump assumes the presidency in January. This is not the first time TikTok has faced bans, as similar measures have previously been enacted in countries like India and Canada.
Source https://thehackernews.com/2025/01/tiktok-goes-dark-in-us-as-federal-ban.html
