{"id":44888,"date":"2023-06-09T12:00:58","date_gmt":"2023-06-09T19:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.clearvoice.com\/?p=44888"},"modified":"2023-06-05T15:49:17","modified_gmt":"2023-06-05T22:49:17","slug":"national-tiktok-ban-content-creators","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.clearvoice.com\/resources\/national-tiktok-ban-content-creators\/","title":{"rendered":"What Would a National TikTok Ban Mean for Content Marketers?"},"content":{"rendered":"

TikTok has been taking over the nation with addictive short-form videos of everything from dancing to incredibly niche philosophical jokes. But some regulators in the United States fear it’s taking over more than our attention spans.<\/p>\n

Most of the hubbub over TikTok concerns its data privacy policies and fears that it could be used by the Chinese government to manipulate the American public. \u00a0Calls for a national ban on the social media app have grown louder from certain circles, including the highest tiers of the national government.<\/p>\n

Wondering what a TikTok ban would mean for your social media strategy? Let’s find out.<\/p>\n

\"What's<\/p>\n

What’s Happening With TikTok?<\/h2>\n

Lawmakers in the U.S., Europe, and Canada have considered restricting access to the insanely popular app. Recently, U.S. federal agencies were ordered to delete the app<\/a> from government devices by the end of March. Other countries including Britain, Canada, the European Union, France, and New Zealand have also banned the app on official devices.<\/p>\n

On March 1, a U.S. House committee advanced legislation that would allow President Biden to enforce a country-wide TikTok Ban. And on March 23, TikTok’s chief executive Shou Chew testified before Congress and attempted to provide assurances that the data and privacy of its American users would be protected.<\/p>\n

Why are governments looking to ban TikTok?<\/h3>\n

The basic answer is China. Lawmakers, regulators, and the public fear that TikTok could provide user data like location information to the Chinese government. They also worry the app could be used to promote misinformation, featuring incendiary content, or inappropriate topics. In December, TikTok owner ByteDance admitted<\/a>\u00a0it had tracked the location of four reporters using the app in an attempt to locate a leak within the company.<\/p>\n

Is TikTok banned anywhere?<\/h3>\n

India banned TikTok in 2020. At the same time, India banned 58 other Chinese-owned apps, claiming they were secretly transmitting user data to servers outside India.<\/p>\n

Can the U.S. Government ban an App?<\/h3>\n

An agency, business, or university is well within its rights to keep an app off its devices or networks. A government-imposed ban that stops Americans from downloading and using an app on their own devices is trickier.<\/p>\n

Per the New York Times:<\/p>\n

“A ban\u00a0that stops Americans from using an app that allows them to share their views and art could face legal challenges on First Amendment grounds, said Caitlin Chin, a fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. After all, large numbers of Americans, including\u00a0elected officials\u00a0and major news organizations like\u00a0The New York Times\u00a0and\u00a0The Washington Post\u00a0now produce videos on TikTok.”<\/p>\n

\"TikTok's<\/p>\n

TikTok’s Privacy Policy & Terms of Service<\/h2>\n

Much of the concern around TikTok is due to its privacy policy<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0terms of service<\/a>. TikTok’s terms state the app can collect information from sources including other social media platforms, such as your friends, your device, such as your phone contacts, or third-party services like advertisers. Another line that has raised eyebrows is that the app “may collect information about you from other publicly available sources.”<\/p>\n

Most of the data tracked by TikTok is similar to user data collected by U.S.-based social media companies, which are also\u00a0facing increased scrutiny<\/a>\u00a0from regulators as well. TikTok expressly collects:<\/p>\n