Tick-Tock, TikTok

The social media platform’s latest legislative countdown and why communicators have little to fear

The latest salvo in the War on TikTok

The recent sweeping aid package passed by Congress and signed by President Biden unlocks billions of dollars worth of assistance for U.S. allies.

Considered an investment in America’s national security, the package also includes one conspicuous, yet familiar mandate that lawmakers claim coincides with the deal’s broader theme – a potential ban on the social media platform, TikTok.

ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese-based parent company, must divest and sell off its stake in all U.S. assets or see its wildly-popular social media platform banned across all host platforms.

This new rule shouldn’t come as a surprise. U.S. lawmakers have consistently criticized ByteDance for its susceptibility to manipulation by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and many view its app as a vessel for CCP meddling in America’s affairs. 

Previous federal actions against the app include a now-overturned August 2020 executive order by former President Trump to ban the platform should no buyer for its American assets be found within 90 days. Additionally, the Biden Administration issued a withstanding March 2023 rule forbidding the app’s download on any device issued by the federal government. 

As with past attempts at a ban, this new legislation is certain to face a challenge in court. TikTok CEO Shou Chew and some of the app’s power users have vowed to fight the mandate, setting the stage for an extended legal battle which could stall the ban’s enforcement indefinitely.

If TikTok really does disappear though, what could this mean for communicators?

Opportunity knocks

For those whose clients rely heavily on the platform, start planning now. Hedge your bets. Diversify.

For corporate, non-profit, trade association and public affairs clients like ours, most organizations relying on TikTok often have a presence across multiple social media platforms. Organizations should consider increasing content output through these alternative channels and explore features of other apps, like Reels on Instagram, which can offer a similar experience to that of TikTok. 

Similarly, organizations should begin creating strategic TikTok content to leverage their base on the platform and proactively drive traffic to its other social media accounts. Doing so will help build equity across platforms and provide additional insurance should a ban take effect. 

If an organization doesn’t use or rely much on TikTok, this situation presents nothing but opportunity. Simply creating more engaging content across all social media channels could capture the attention of disenfranchised former TikTok users as they increase their time spent on other platforms.

Those with a diversified social media presence can adapt, but it must be noted that those relying solely on TikTok could admittedly face a challenge scaling up their followings on other platforms from scratch.

No Need to Panic…Yet

TikTok has over 150 million American users. If ByteDance refuses to divest, or if a domestic (or otherwise “friendly”) buyer can’t be found for the platform, the app’s absence would be felt by over half the nation’s population.

A potential ban could impact more than just those using TikTok. Administration officials have said it’s their belief that ByteDance’s creator-focused short-form video editing platform, CapCut, would be subject to the same rule imposed on its more public-facing sibling. 

The official timeline stipulates that ByteDance has exactly nine months to find a buyer for its American assets – a window which could easily grow to one year should President Biden implement a pre-approved three month extension.

For now, the platform remains unphased, and is likely to stay that way. Enforcement of a ban is sure to face lengthy  litigation and broader public opposition, delaying any action to well past the mandate’s official deadline. 

Whether or not a ban ends up taking effect, It’s crucial that communicators remain poised and develop a strategy for adaptation that can withstand either potential outcome. It’s always better to be safe than sorry, but the way it’s shaping up, we’re a long way out from sorry.