What Could Happen If TikTok Gets Banned In The U.S.?

Forbes - Jan 14th, 2025
Open on Forbes

TikTok is on the brink of being banned in the United States unless its parent company, ByteDance, sells the platform due to national security concerns. The ban, based on a bipartisan law signed by President Biden, highlights fears over data privacy and potential Chinese government access to American user data. Despite denials from TikTok and ByteDance, the situation remains tense as President-elect Donald Trump seeks to delay the ban. The app's removal could affect its 170 million U.S. users, leading to gradual degradation without critical updates.

The implications of a TikTok ban are profound, not just within the U.S. but globally, as seen in India's 2020 ban. The American social media landscape could see significant shifts, with competitors like Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts poised to capture TikTok's user base. The ban could spur innovations in AI-driven content discovery and new social media dynamics. As ByteDance navigates the potential sale, the outcome could redefine digital content creation and consumption in the years to come.

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RATING

6.4
Moderately Fair
Read with skepticism

The news story provides a thorough exploration of the potential TikTok ban, offering insights into its implications for users and the broader social media landscape. It excels in clarity, with a well-structured narrative that guides readers through the complex issue. However, the story's overall effectiveness is somewhat limited by a lack of source quality and transparency. Though it references credible outlets like Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal, the absence of direct quotes and specific attributions weakens its authority. Additionally, the article could benefit from more detailed context and disclosure of methodologies behind financial projections and other claims.

In terms of balance, the story provides a reasonable range of perspectives, including national security concerns, political angles, and economic considerations. Nonetheless, it leans slightly towards a U.S.-centric viewpoint without fully exploring counterarguments or international perspectives, particularly from countries that have previously banned TikTok.

To enhance its accuracy, the article should include more precise data and attributions, particularly when citing statistics or discussing international actions against TikTok. By addressing these areas, the story could provide a more comprehensive and reliable account of this significant issue, offering readers a deeper understanding of the potential changes in the social media landscape.

RATING DETAILS

7
Accuracy

The news story generally maintains factual accuracy, particularly in its depiction of the ongoing debate about TikTok's future in the U.S. The mention of a bipartisan law passed by Congress and signed by President Biden is a verifiable fact, as is the description of TikTok as a national security threat by the U.S. Justice Department. The potential financial figures related to TikTok's U.S. ad revenue and the investment commitments by Frank McCourt are also specific and can be verified through industry reports and news sources. However, there are areas where the story could benefit from more precise data. For example, while it mentions 'an estimated 170 million Americans' using TikTok, it would be more accurate if the story provided the source of this estimate. Additionally, the story refers to actions by other countries and organizations regarding TikTok, like the British government's restrictions, but it would be stronger if it included direct quotes or official statements from those bodies. Overall, the article could improve its accuracy by providing more citations or attributing its claims to specific sources.

6
Balance

The article attempts to present a balanced view by including various perspectives on the TikTok ban, such as the national security concerns and the economic implications for TikTok and its users. It acknowledges both the U.S. government's and TikTok's positions, with the latter denying allegations of data sharing with the Chinese government. However, the piece leans slightly towards a U.S. perspective, particularly with its emphasis on national security without equally highlighting counterarguments from independent experts or data privacy advocates who might downplay these concerns. While the mention of President-elect Donald Trump's request to delay the ban shows an effort to include political angles, the story could benefit from more international perspectives or a deeper dive into how similar situations have unfolded in other countries, such as India's past ban on TikTok. Including voices from digital rights organizations or consumer advocates would also help in presenting a more rounded view.

8
Clarity

The article is generally clear and well-structured, offering a comprehensive overview of the potential impact of a TikTok ban. It logically flows from the reasons behind the proposed ban to its potential consequences and alternatives, making it easy for readers to follow the narrative. The language is professional and largely neutral, though it occasionally uses emotive language, such as describing the ban's impact as 'seismic,' which could be perceived as slightly sensationalist. However, the article does a good job of breaking down complex information, such as the effects of a ban on app functionality and user experience, into understandable segments. The use of subheadings like 'Why Could TikTok Be Banned?' and 'Will TikTok Still Work After It’s Banned?' aids in navigating the text. While the article is clear for the most part, it could improve by simplifying some of the more technical descriptions, particularly concerning the sideloading of apps and its risks, to ensure accessibility for all audiences.

5
Source quality

The story makes broad references to reputable sources such as Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal, although it does not directly quote them or provide specific articles, which weakens the credibility of the information. While mentioning these sources lends some authority to the claims, the lack of direct attributions makes it difficult for readers to independently verify these details. Additionally, the story does not provide much information about the sources of its financial data or estimates, such as TikTok's projected ad revenue or McCourt's investment commitments, which would benefit from more detailed sourcing or reference to financial reports. The absence of official statements or documents, particularly from ByteDance or U.S. government officials, also impacts the reliability of the information presented. For a stronger source quality assessment, the article should incorporate direct quotes, links, or detailed references to authoritative reports or statements.

6
Transparency

The article provides a reasonable amount of context regarding the potential TikTok ban, such as the legislative background and national security concerns, but it lacks transparency in explaining the basis for some of its claims. For instance, while it discusses the financial implications, it does not disclose the methodology behind the projected ad revenue figures or the details of Frank McCourt's investment commitments. The article also fails to mention any potential conflicts of interest or affiliations of those making claims or providing insights, which could inform readers about possible biases. Additionally, while it references actions taken by other governments, the article would benefit from more details about these actions and their contexts to give readers a clearer understanding of the global perspective. To improve transparency, the story should explain how it arrived at its figures and claims, provide more context about its sources, and disclose any affiliations that might influence the information presented.