In recent weeks, several top Trump administration officials have spoken out, apparently favoring a US ban on TikTok and now the administration is running ads on the topic. Statements centered on just such a ban, according to recent reports, have every appearance of ramping up. And the latest ads, found on Facebook and Instagram, are decidedly in favor of a ban — accusing TikTok of spying on users for China.
There’s been no indication of any specific timeline for a ban. And officials have not explicitly stated that there would be a ban. But it does not appear to be outside of the realm of possibility either. Especially since the listed officials include Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien, and Chief of Staff Mark Meadows.
Initial discussion on the possibility of a ban started in early July. Specifically, that was following India’s decision to ban the app along with as many as 58 others. The countries leadership, at the time, cited concerns about Chinese spying from the apps. That was ultimately estimated to have cost TikTok approximately $6 billion.
Each of the top US officials has cited similar concerns. Namely, that the app and others are actively sending user data to the Chinese Communist Party. Mr. Pompeo’s remarks on the topic came just days after the India Ban. And the next comments on the matter — attributed to Robert O’Brien — built on the initial speculation. Mr. O’Brient specifically voiced concerns that TikTok might be collecting facial recognition-related data.
Later, Mr. Meadows was reported stating that, if a ban did follow, it was being looked at on a timescale of “weeks, not months.”
Would a US TikTok ban even make any sense?
Now, the concerns about TikTok fall in line with those about Chinese tech giant Huawei. That’s in terms of both support and allegations. Any ban would potentially be bipartisan, just as the previous discussion on the topic has been.
Also like Huawei, TikTok has largely denied all such accusations both now and in the past. The company points out that it is not actually managed by any Chinese company. Instead, it’s managed through US-based ByteDance and that means it’s also kept separately from the China-specific version. That other app ships to Chinese customers under Douyin branding.
More importantly, and differentiating TikTok from other companies that have faced similar accusations, data on US users is stored and handled locally. More succinctly, it’s handled in the United States.
None of this means a ban is coming
The obvious implication is that the US is taking a long, hard look at banning TikTok outright. And other apps like it or with any ties to China are likely to follow or be banned at the same time. That doesn’t necessarily mean that a ban will happen. Right now, the administration appears to be chiefly interested in garnering public approval, in favor of such a move.