The US is moving closer to a TikTok ban, as President Joe Biden signed a bill today, Wednesday, 24, 2024, requiring the social media platform to secure a new owner within a year or face a ban in the country. Created by the Chinese company ByteDance, TikTok has raised concerns in the US as a national security threat, with the Chinese government being suspected of collecting data on American citizens through the app. Former President Donald Trump previously attempted to ban TikTok in the US but was thwarted by Federal Judge Carl Nichols in August 2020.
TikTok is one of the largest social media platforms worldwide, boasting approximately one billion monthly active users. In the US, 50 million Americans use TikTok daily, with over one-third of the population engaging with the app at least once a month.
TikTok ban and geopolitics
The provisions for a TikTok ban were included in the National Security Package, which aims to reinforce US leadership globally. Notably, the legislation provides increased financial and military support to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, which are facing major US adversaries—Russia, Iran, and China.
US-China relations have become increasingly contentious in recent years. Following the US-China trade war initiated by President Trump, several Chinese companies, including the digital communication giant Huawei, have faced US bans. Through its account on X, TikTok announced that it would challenge the bill in court, calling it unconstitutional.
Beyond security threats, the social media platform has also been criticized for being extremely addictive among younger people. On the other hand, supporters of the app, including X owner Elon Musk, have denounced the potential ban as an attack on free speech.
TikTok in Colombia
TikTok is extremely popular in Colombia, with more than half of Colombians regularly using the app. Its uses among Colombians vary widely, ranging from business promotion and music videos to humor, as well as watching telenovelas and films for free. However, the Chinese app is also increasingly being used as a recruitment platform by Colombian guerrilla groups such as the Central General Staff (Estado Mayor Central), a group that split from the former FARC following the 2016 peace agreements.
Beyond TikTok, Chinese companies are key players in the Colombian digital market. Firms such as Xiaomi, Huawei, Vivo, Oppo, and Tecno account for over 30 percent of the mobile phone market and have increased their investments in the country in recent years, notably in the field of 5G.
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