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The Tiktok ban has creators and business owners alike concerned about what that means for the future of the creator economy. For many, TikTok is a source of income and a funnel for new customers.
Why is the US Government banning TikTok?
Privacy, policy, propaganda….
“U.S. officials have repeatedly warned that TikTok threatens national security because the Chinese government could use it to spy on Americans or weaponize it to covertly influence the U.S. public by amplifying or suppressing certain content.” (CBS News)
Basically, because TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, is based on China, if the Chinese government were to request access to any of TikTok’s internal information, the U.S. government fears that our personal information may be compromised.
Government officials also fear that TikTok could be used to spread misinformation, also known as propaganda, to and among American citizens.
I just posted on TikTok yesterday, when does the ban start?
America is the land of due process.
“The House overwhelmingly passed a measure on March 13 that gives ByteDance a choice: Sell TikTok within six months, or lose access to app stores and web-hosting services in the U.S.” (CBS News)
On April 24, 2024 President Biden did in fact sign a bill banning TikTok. However, ByteDance was given an extended nine months to sell the app before it is removed from American app stores and online marketplaces.
Though ByteDance has nine months to sell TikTok, it is hard to put a timeframe on it because the terms could be extended per the U.S. government.
TikTok is Fighting back
Project Texas is TilTok’s official solution to privacy concerns.
Project Texas is TikTok's response to privacy concerns. Kicked off in August 2022. Per what's listed on the official website, TikTok has a data center in Virginia that is safeguarded by armed guards and security fences, HOWEVER, the backup data center is in Singapore which is is a cause for alarm. According to TikTok's official website they started working with Oracle in 2021 to create "data management protocols" to keep U.S. user data safe.
What is Oracle? Oracle is a global software company based in Austin, Texas. They create enterprise level technological and software solutions. Smart on TikTok to work with a U.S. based company to help manage data security? I think so. Technology aside, a company like Oracle probably has some lobbying friends it can lend to TikTok's efforts to stay in America.
All of that being said, there's the legal dealings that we see in the news, but there are other conversations brokered over lunch and on golf courses. TikTok could be banned, but a deal could also be reached. Or ByteDance could sell their rights to TikTok, which I personally find unlikely, but again I am no political analyst.
TikTok also created a U.S. based department to solely manage data for the U.S.
What should I do next?
Keep building that audience.
For now keep posting on TikTok. Any process involving the government usually takes some time. it could be months before a band is finalized or ByteDance could sell. 🤷🏽♀️ The interesting thing is that TikTok was originally given 6 months to sell, then that was extended to nine months in April. This could be due to the oncoming election.
Marketers are not legislators or lawmakers. We can’t necessarily predict what will happen with TikTok. What we do know is while the app is still available you still have access to the audience that you have built there, or could potentially build in the future.
This is a time to make sure that all of your content is backed up somewhere off of the app. Start building a strategy around moving your audience from TikTok to other platforms, both social media and email.
Do this for the next nine months…
✅ Keep posting.
✅ Start getting familiar with other social media platforms if you aren’t already.
✅ Get a website if you don’t already have one.
✅ Start capturing emails ASAP!
I can’t predict what’s going to happen with TikTok. However, there are some things you can do to maintain your audience, your content, and have a seamless transition if TikTok is ever banned.
Sources:
Why U.S. officials want to ban TikTok
Hi! I'm Lauren Thomas, a marketing strategist and owner of Limitless Marketing Co. My goal with this blog is to make tough topics easy to understand and apply. If you like marketing news and tips, subscribe to the Limitless Marketing Newsletter!
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