TikTok Could Go Dark: What Does It Mean for Users and Content Creators? | News about science, climate and technology

TikTok has said it could go dark on Sunday after the Supreme Court ruled against its bid to avoid a ban that could shut down the app.

The threatening ban is the end result of the 2024 legislation passed on national security concerns that required TikTok parent ByteDance to sell the popular short video app or see it shut down in the US on January 19.

Meanwhile Donald Trumpwho takes office on Monday, has said he would try to find a “political solution”.

The president-elect has spoken with Chinese leader Xi Jinping about the issue.

Analysis:
America retreats as TikTok prepares to ‘go dark’ – will Trump save the day?

Below are the answers to some key questions:

What happens to the app?

New users won’t be able to download TikTok from the Apple and Google app stores, and existing users won’t be able to update the app, meaning it will soon become unusable.

Some of the so-called “TikTok refugees” are turning to a Chinese app called Xiaohongshu – aka RedNote.

It is a lifestyle social media app that allows users to post short videos, photos, and texts, and it also includes features like live streaming and shopping.

Read more:
What is RedNote?

How will users be affected?

TikTok’s estimated 170 million users in the US will still be able to use the app because it is already downloaded on their phones.

But over time, without software and security updates, the app will become redundant.

At best, a web-based version of the service may be available that has fewer features than the app, and even that may not work, experts have said.

Some users could try to access TikTok through virtual private networks or VPNs, which can hide the Internet Protocol or IP address of a user and thus their location.

Creators who have built businesses off their TikTok followings are bracing for the app’s potential shutdown, redirecting their followers to alternatives like Instagram and YouTube.

What are the content creators saying?

Tiffany Cianci told the Associated Press that the proposed ban shows that “our elected officials failed the American people by not learning what TikTok actually meant to the American people”.

“In reality, it’s an ecosystem that has created a large part of the American economy.

“It has created a place where seven million small businesses are thriving in ways that they are unable to thrive in any other economic social media system in the United States.”

Influencer and creator Janette Ok said the platform helped her land brand deals and promote her music – bringing “opportunities that I never thought I could experience in my life”.

“It’s a beautiful app, it’s brought so many people together, it’s changed a lot of people’s lives, and it doesn’t feel American to just be taken away like that… so not American,” she said.

What will the advertisers do?

Advertisers have rushed to draw up contingency plans as the ban will put their campaigns on the platforms at risk.

TikTok has continued to pitch advertisers about new features, such as a tool being launched in beta that would make it easier to create, modify and add bulk ads.

If a ban occurs, it will be more than 11 billion. USD in annual US advertising investment.

What is happening to US-China relations?

A ban could exacerbate trade tensions between the US and China, already strained following export restrictions on advanced US semiconductor technology to Beijing.

Mr. Trump could try to use an executive action to protect TikTok during his four years in office, but he could use the risk of him changing his position to extract something meaningful from China, according to analysts at LightShed Partners.

What impact could a ban have on UK users?

There is no indication that a US ban would directly affect users in the UK, where the technology is governed by British law. However, British TikTokers who create content on social media for a living have expressed fears about how the proposed ban could affect their viewership and income.

Aidan Halling, also known by his handle @etherealgames on TikTok, makes comedy skits about games for his 30,000 followers, and is worried his income could be hit as the ban could force him to ditch the app.

“A lot of creators depend on this app for a living and it’s being pulled out from under them,” he told PA news.

“This ban could potentially force me to pivot to other content or stop posting all together. While 15% of my followers are American, about 40% of the first video views are from the US.”