Why would TikTok get banned in the US? Possible ByteDance suspension, explained

TikTok is a short-form video hosting service originally launched by ByteDance in 2016. The Chinese developers created TikTok as an international version of its already popular video service Douyin, though TikTok did not hit the mainstream until 2020 when it eventually surpassed two billion mobile downloads.

Though the most widely used social media platform in history, TikTok has had legal troubles in various countries due to its ties to the Chinese government and allegations of user data collection and sharing.

The United States in particular has notably had several instances wherein the app was nearly banned from the country.

TikTok is still widely available in the United States, however, it is not without contest as many within the country still seek to outright ban the platform. This is why TikTok could be banned in the United States, and why it almost has been banned before.

Could TikTok be banned in the U.S.?

In Aug. 2020, former president Donald Trump signed an order that would ban TikTok in the United States. Then-president Trump cited evidence that developer ByteDance threatened national security by collecting and sharing user information, which included allegedly included the personal information of American users.

TikTok avoided being banned from the United States by agreeing to a deal that forced the app to work with a U.S.-based data provider.

Settled after a year-long court case, TikTok was never officially banned in the United States and a group of TikTok influencers prevented the proposed injunction from ever being implemented.

Though still allowed and widely popular across the U.S., many still fear that despite using a U.S. data provider, ByteDance may still be able to access user information to potentially send to other sources.

In more recent allegations, Senior Fellow for the Hudson Institute Mohammed Alyahya proposed that the app could once again face legal threats due to alleged spying on the platform.

TikTok’s relatively short history in the United States has been embroiled in turmoil and concerns over national security.

If TikTok were to ever be banned from the United States, it more than likely be because the ByteDance app could be a perceived danger to the nation.