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As a potential TikTok ban approaches on Jan. 19, the United States government’s push for the social media platform’s sale has sparked investor interest, legal battles and growing concerns over data privacy and national security. With 170 million U.S.-based users, the app’s future remains uncertain.

Owned by ByteDance, a Chinese tech company, TikTok has regularly faced scrutiny based on claims that the Chinese government could access user data through the app, such as location services. In 2024, Congress passed a bill banning the platform unless it is sold to a U.S.-based company, The New York Times reported.

President Joe Biden signed the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act last April, giving the company until Jan. 19 to sell TikTok. On Dec. 6, the company attempted to overturn the law, citing First Amendment violations. A panel of three federal judges unanimously rejected the challenge.

Regulators and lawmakers have increasingly expressed concern that TikTok and ByteDance may provide sensitive data, such as location information, to the Chinese government, pointing to laws that allow the government to secretly demand data from Chinese companies and citizens for intelligence-gathering operations, the Times reported.

Lawmakers are also concerned China could use the app’s content recommendations to fuel misinformation.

TikTok has long denied the allegations and attempted to distance itself from its parent company.

As of Wednesday night, President-elect Donald Trump has considered enacting an executive order to suspend the ban for 60 to 90 days, giving the administration time to negotiate a sale or alternative solution, the Washington Post reported. The ban will go into effect one day before the former President’s inauguration.

When the ban goes into effect, app stores including those operated by Apple and Google would remove TikTok from its stores, making it unavailable for download. Users who have already downloaded the app would still see it on their phones.

The app would likely remain on users’ phones but would not receive updates, leading to the program’s collapse as bugs remain unpatched and rendering it virtually unusable, the Post reported.

If app stores like Apple and Google continue to distribute or update TikTok, the federal government could impose fines and civil penalties. Infractions could cost companies $5,000 for each user that continues to access TikTok through its app stores.

The U.S. government’s “sell-or-be-banned” approach has sparked concerns among digital rights activists, who fear the ban undermines the country’s role in promoting an internet space free of over-regulation by government agencies, the Times reported.

The efforts to force ByteDance to sell the app have generated speculation about potential buyers, the Post reported. Multiple investors have expressed interest in purchasing the app, including a group of investors brought together by former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. Billionaire Frank McCourt has also expressed interest in purchasing the app.

The Supreme Court was expected to issue an opinion on the federal law Wednesday, but it didn’t make an official ruling just days before the ban is set to take effect, Forbes reported.

Unless the court rules otherwise, the ban will take effect Sunday.

Published on January 15, 2025 at 11:01 pm

Contact Delia: dsrangel@syr.edu