Unless you’re living under a rock, you’re familiar with at least one TikTok dance made famous by Charli D’Amelio or Addison Rae. Don’t even pretend like you haven’t spent hours in front of the mirror attempting to learn the moves to “Savage!”
TikTok has quickly become one of the most popular content creation apps across the globe, gaining additional velocity as nations quarantined. With 800 million active users, the platform has particularly attracted teens and young adults between the ages of 16-24. But can these Zillennials imagine a world without TikTok?
The China-made app is owned by Beijing-based ByteDance. The Chinese Communist Party’s control over that nation’s economy and its penchant for cyberpiracy has raised concerns about Tik-Tok’s potential threat over the security of other nations and the privacy of their citizens.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is looking into banning the app, along with other China-made social media platforms, in order to protect private personal information.
In an interview on Fox News’ The Ingraham Angle, Pompeo stated you should only download TikTok, “if you want your private information in the hands of the Chinese Communist party.”
TikTok gathers an alarming amount of data in comparison to other social media platforms, and this has caused the “US military to ban its personnel from using the app on government-issued devices.”
Not only would a ban impact the 65 million+ American users, but it would also put a damper on the music industry. The platform has become a way for users to discover new music, promoting up and coming artists such as Benee, Lil Nas X, Ashnikko, and so many more. Some artists owe their newfound fame to the platform—if not for the app, these artists might never have taken off.
Established celebrities including Lizzo, Justin Bieber, and Miley Cyrus have amassed large followings on TikTok as well, and labels have taken advantage of the opportunity to make bank.
According to Consequences of Sound, “Major labels have zeroed in on TikTok as a lucrative money-making opportunity and recently secured licensing deals.”
The US isn’t the only country in line to ban the app: India has already taken the leap, while Australia threatens to follow.
What do you think of the possible ban? Let us know in the comments!
