The Uncertain Future of Tik Tok

With more than 1 billion users across the globe, TikTok has taken the social media world by storm. Users of all ages across the world spend time on the app daily, engrossed in the latest trends, dances, products, and more, making the app the second-most popular web domain worldwide. While the platform may have experienced exponential growth over the last few years, this trend might start to reverse, thanks to new bands countries are placing on the app.

The United States federal government recently announced the ban of TikTok on federally-owned devices. Previously, several state governments within the United States also banned using TikTok on government-owned devices. In 2020, India banned TikTok on all devices in the country. There have also been reports that other countries, like Australia, consider placing bans on the app.

These countries have all banned TikTok for one similar reason: security concerns. ByteDance is a Chinese-owned company that owns and operates TikTok. There are concerns that the company can collect sensitive user information like location, keystrokes, and more through the app. Additionally, countries are concerned that because of Chinese law, ByteDance could have to turn over all user data to the government of China, even though the company does not currently share any data with the Chinese government. The United States banned the app because the Chinese authority could start viewing Americans' data. India banned the app due to an Indian law that lets the government block apps out of concern for the country's sovereignty and integrity.

While some argue that banning TikTok is the right thing to do, others argue in favor of the app. Some business professionals say that the decision to ban the app was implemented too fast and could potentially lead to investors pulling their investments. Some of these fears proved true, as TikTok lost 40% of its market in India after the ban began.

There are also concerns for the influencer marketing market, as influencers often create a living and help increase product sales through the app. In 2021, more than 50% of marketers planned to increase their budget for TikTok influencer marketing campaigns, highlighting the tremendous growth and increasing importance influencers play in marketing. Since the start of the Coronavirus outbreak, influencers have helped create a 553% increase in shopping on TikTok. Bans on TikTok could be particularly harmful to small businesses, as members of the TikTok community are 15% more likely to shop from small businesses when compared to other social media communities. Suppose Tik Tok isn't a marketing tool for companies and influencers alike. In that case, they could shift their focus to other social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat. 

Our attention spans have shortened as a result of the short, catchy videos on the app, and many viewers now favor short, Tik Tok-like videos or reels. Even if Tik Tok is banned worldwide, it is undeniable that it has changed our lives and marketing as we know it.