image source, Good pictures
- author, Liv McMahon
- stock, Technology Correspondent, BBC News
TikTok came close to being kicked out of the US after the US Senate approved a bill that would have banned TikTok from operating the platform unless it sold its Chinese owner, Byte Dance.
The video-sharing app has millions of users worldwide, but faces growing questions about the security of user data and its ties to the Beijing government.
The legislation, which has already passed both the House of Representatives and the Senate, would, among other things, require the dissolution of TikTok's parent company.
US President Joe Biden has promised to pass the law.
At BBC Mundo we tell you the highlights of this legislative decision.
1. Who wants to ban TikTok in the US and why?
US lawmakers from both major parties have pushed for legislation to ban TikTok unless ByteDance agrees to sell the app to a non-Chinese-owned company.
They say they fear the country's government could force ByteDance to hand over data on the 170 million users TikTok has in the US.
TikTok insists it does not provide foreign user data to the Chinese government.
On April 21, House lawmakers passed a bill with $95 billion in foreign aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, paving the way for TikTok's forced sale.
The Senate approved the package on April 23, and it will now be sent to President Biden's desk to be signed into law.
This is not the first time US authorities have attacked TikTok.
In 2020, former US President Donald Trump tried to ban the app.
But now, Trump, the Republican nominee for the November presidential election, is criticizing the recently approved law because he believes that restricting TikTok will unfairly benefit Facebook.
2. When can a TikTok ban happen and how will it work?
image source, Good pictures
Social network ban Not applicable As soon as President Biden signs the law.
In fact, it could be years before Americans lose access to the app, as ByteDance has filed a lawsuit to block the forced sale.
The case will reach the last bench of the Supreme Court.
Additionally, the law gives Byte Dance 9 months to sell TikTok, with an additional three months before any ban goes into effect.
That means the deadline for the sale will most likely come in 2025.If Trump wins the 2024 presidential election, he could try to block the ban from being implemented.
If planning to ban Processor go up The easiest way to do this is to remove TikTok from the app storesSimilar to what is enabled by Apple and Google on their iOS and Android devices.
Most people download from app stores applications The ban will prevent new users from getting TikTok on their smartphones and tablets.
Additionally, those who have already acquired the app will not be able to receive future updates designed to improve security or fix bugs..
The US bill prohibits utilities controlled by countries that compete with the US from being updated and maintained in the country.
And it gives the president broad powers to control applications with ties to Russia, China, Iran and North Korea.
3. What has TikTok said the law will do and how have users in the US responded?
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TikTok has strongly criticized the approved bill, calling it an attack on freedom of expression in the United States.
CEO Sho Ji Chew warned that the bill would give “more power to a few social media companies” and put thousands of American jobs at risk..
Byte Dance would have to get permission from official Chinese authorities to sell TikTok, but Beijing has vowed to oppose that move.
image source, Good pictures
Some American content creators and users have criticized the proposed ban.
Tiffany Yu, a young transgender activist from Los Angeles, told the BBC that the platform was crucial to her work at a demonstration outside the White House.
TikTok asked its 170 million US users to contact their political representatives and ask them not to support the bill.
But an avalanche of “confused” calls from TikTok users to congressmen and senators may have backfired.
Many politicians say the campaign exacerbated their concerns about enforcement and strengthened their resolve to pass the law..
4. Is TikTok banned in other countries?
US legislation may encourage similar measures elsewhere.
TikTok is already banned in India, which was one of the app's biggest markets before it was banned in June 2020..
It is also blocked in Iran, Nepal, Afghanistan and Somalia.
The UK government and parliament have banned the use of TikTok on employees' work devices, as has the European Commission in 2023.
The BBC advised staff to remove TikTok from corporate phones for security reasons.
5. How does TikTok work and how much user data does it collect?
image source, Good pictures
The heart of TikTok is its algorithm.
It is a set of algorithms within the app that determine what content to serve based on data about how users have interacted with previous content.
Users are presented with three main feeds in their app: accounts they follow, friend accounts, and a “For You” section.
The feeds Followers and Friends provide users with content from those they choose to follow and those who follow them, but the app automatically generates feeder “For you”.
This is feeder Tiktok has become a prime target of choice for users looking for fresh content and creators eager to get millions of views if their videos go viral.
Critics say the app collects more data than other social media platforms to power its personalized system.
This includes information about users' location, device, the content they interact with, and the keystroke rhythms they exhibit while typing.
Utram Click here Read more stories from BBC News Mundo.
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