More than 170 million Americans could be blocked from TikTok in a matter of months over concerns the Chinese government is siphoning personal data. Speaking exclusively to GB News, one security expert believes this consequential move from Washington DC could be a "catalyst" for other countries to take action.
Last month, US President Joe Biden signed into law a bill that will block TikTok in the United States if its parent company, the Beijing-based ByteDance, fails to divest the popular short video app over the next 270 days. US lawmakers were spurred into action over fears that ByteDance, which launched back in 2012 but didn't launch TikTok until September 2017, is backed by the ruling Chinese Communist Party.
After US lawmakers passed the TikTok ban in the House of Representatives and the Senate, Joe Biden signed it into law last month
REUTERS
Like many Chinese companies, ByteDance has an internal Chinese Communist Party (CCP) committee, which sees Vice President Zhang Fuping serving as ByteDance's CCP Committee Secretary. The firm says that it has not shared and would never share data on its users with the Chinese government.
The United States isn't alone in its suspicion of ByteDance. In March last year, Rishi Sunak outlawed the social media app from all Government devices over fears the Chinese government could pressure the Beijing firm into handing over users’ personal information.
But since then, there has been very little action from Downing Street.
Muhammad Yahya Patel, who works as the Lead Security Engineer at the American-Israeli cyber security firm Check Point Software, spoke to GB News about the ripple effects of the escalation in Washington DC.
"The quick actions taken by President Biden may be the catalyst for other countries to follow suit," Mr Patel tells us. "I am sure the UK Government will be watching to see how this unfolds before making decisions about local restrictions."
Waiting to see how the legislation — known as Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act — plays out might be the smartest move. TikTok has already confirmed plans to challenge the law in the courts. CEO Shou Zi Chew reassured some 170 million US citizens who use the social network that he expects to win a legal challenge to block legislation signed into law by President Joe Biden.
The United States accounted for roughly 25% of TikTok's global revenue in 2023, sources have claimed.
Despite plans to appeal the legislation, potential buyers looking to acquire TikTok from its Chinese parent company have already started circling with their cheques.
A new poll released this week shows widespread support for the block. Conducted by IPSOS on behalf of Reuters, the poll found 50% of Americans supported a TikTok ban — with just 32% opposed, and the rest unsure about the action to take. However, it's worth stating the poll only surveyed adults and doesn't reflect the views of people under age 18, who make up a significant portion of TikTok users in the USA.
The poll showed 46% of Americans agreed with a statement that China is using the app to "spy on everyday Americas," an allegation Beijing has consistently denied.
"The issues here are complicated," security expert Muhammad Yahya Patel acknowledges when speaking to GB News. "On the one hand, we cannot ignore the security concerns addressed in the Bill about how user data may be intercepted and exploited by Chinese authorities.
"There is also a wider safeguarding issue about the use of social media platforms, especially among younger audiences, and more needs to be done to minimise the effects on their mental and physical wellbeing."
Ofcom data shows some 23.3 million people in the UK are using TikTok. That makes the UK the 12th most important market for the social media app globally.
The European Union threatened to ban a new rewards programme launched as part of the new TikTok Lite version, which is available in France and Spain and pays social media users to spend time in the app, watch videos, like content, follow creators, and most importantly, invite friends to join TikTok.
Before the ban could take effect, TikTok voluntarily suspended the scheme in Europe.
European Commissioner Thierry Breton called the feature “toxic and addictive” and added "our children are not guinea pigs for social media." The European Commission has launched two separate cases against TikTok to assess whether it has broken EU law. Under new rules that came into force last year, the biggest platforms have to produce a risk assessment before they make major changes to their products.
But as lawmakers across the West look to tighten restrictions on TikTok, Muhammad Yahya Patel is conscious of the millions who use the social media service to make their livelihood. He told GB News: “On the other hand, we need to consider how this will impact businesses and individuals who use the platform as a revenue stream. A complete ban could put their livelihoods at risk, so there should be alternative measures put in place."
TikTok users with at least 100,000 followers are eligible to join the Creator Fund, which offers between $0.02 and $0.04 for every 1,000 views. That's $20-40 for one million views, roughly £16-23 converted.
Most social media creators don't make the most of their revenue from TikTok alone, instead using the platform to promote songs on Spotify and other streamer services, monetisation platforms like Patreon and OnlyFans, or by selling items from the TikTok Shop — an Amazon-like competitor baked into the app.
A Government spokesperson told GB News: "The use of TikTok remains a personal choice for members of the public and the National Cyber Security Centre has published guidance on using social media safely.
"More broadly, the UK has some of the strongest data protection laws in the world to ensure personal data is handled responsibly and securely. Companies must comply with these laws and could face enforcement action if they do not."
