The future of TikTok in USA is on a tightrope. A new law, which will come into force next January 19will ban applications considered a threat to national security due to their alleged links to foreign governments, such as China. The regulations could force ByteDanceowner of the platform, to sell its popular application or face its disappearance from the US market. With donald trump assuming the presidency a day later, the political and economic tensions around this decision reach their peak.
In April of 2024he Congress approved the regulations that prohibit the presence of applications classified as ”controlled by foreign adversaries” on digital platforms such as Google Play and Apple Store. The legislators maintain that TikTok poses a threat due to his alleged ties to the Chinese government, an accusation that ByteDance has repeatedly denied. However, the legislation has broad bipartisan support, driven by concerns around national security and data privacy.
The decision puts into play a market of 50 billion euros, 700 million global users and one of the most influential communication tools of the last decade. Meanwhile, donald trump and his ally Elon Musk look for alternatives to prevent TikTok disappear from the US market, although the countdown to the law’s entry into force complicates any political or business movement.
The outcome is not written, but its impact will be significant not only in the technological field, but also in the global political and economic sphere.
User reaction
Faced with this situation, several Spanish users, stunned by what could happen, take the opportunity to make videos on the platform and say goodbye to their TikTok followers. One of these users is ”miaamaubens”, a young Spanish woman living in Los Angeles who has more than 78,000 followers.
”This account is going to hell, this is very outrageous,” he exclaims in the TikTok video. ”In a few days I won’t be able to share videos with my friends or create content for you, what am I going to do?” she explains angrily while asking if someone with more information can explain to her if this measure is final.