TikTok is rapidly becoming a tool in U.S.-China relations.
The permanence of TikTok in the United States may depend on new trade agreements between China and the North American country.
The administration of President Donald J. Trump has established that TikTok must be sold to an American buyer in order to operate in the United States; otherwise, it will face a ban. Reports indicate that TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, shows no signs of rushing to carry out the sale, largely due to the influence of the Chinese government. Following the implementation of significant tariffs by the United States on Chinese imports, a reciprocal response from China has been observed, leading experts to infer that the Chinese government is taking a firmer stance regarding the sale of TikTok's operations in the U.S. to an American buyer.
Despite several interested parties in the purchase, it has been reported that China seeks to negotiate a "big deal" with the Trump administration, which would imply that the United States would have to concede on certain trade and technology policies. On January 19, TikTok was removed from U.S. app stores due to a new regulation that deemed the app illegal for national security reasons. This action was followed by ByteDance's decision to disable the service in the United States.
After Trump announced that he would sign an executive order on his first day in office to allow the social media platform to continue operating, TikTok's service was restored. However, the order requires ByteDance to transfer ownership of the app to a new owner within a short time frame. If this change of ownership does not occur, the site could cease to function permanently, and the application is still not available in app stores.
Talks about the potential purchase of TikTok have included personalities such as Elon Musk and Kevin O’Leary. Trump has also suggested that the U.S. government could acquire TikTok through a sovereign fund. Meanwhile, relations between the United States and China have deteriorated, with the possibility of new antitrust investigations by China into U.S. companies like Google and Apple. Additionally, China has filed complaints with the World Trade Organization (WTO) regarding the tariffs.
With 170 million TikTok users in the U.S., Trump is trying to "save TikTok." If China refuses to allow the sale without economic concessions, it is unclear whether Trump will yield, but further tensions are expected before a resolution is reached.
On the other hand, TikTok faces legal tensions in the U.S. Supreme Court, where its arguments regarding national security and freedom of speech may not be sufficient to prevent a ban. Recent studies suggest that many children use TikTok in violation of the platform's age policies. Furthermore, it has been highlighted that a considerable number of 11 and 12-year-olds show signs of addiction and hide their social profiles from their parents.
Moreover, TikTok has begun implementing new rules to protect users aged 13 to 18 from the harmful effects of beauty filters. These new regulations will prohibit tools that allow for significant alterations in appearance, although more playful filters will still be allowed.
