Introduction
The proliferation of online platforms has revolutionized digital culture, transforming in ways in which individuals interact, communicate and express themselves online. Numerous platforms have emerged which have changed the landscape of online media. The use of information and communication technology by the public makes the technological world so sophisticated. Through the use of social media platforms, individuals can easily engage, connect and share videos with each other. With the current technology, social media video-sharing platforms are only downloadable via smartphones. TikTok, formally established as Musical.ly, has caught the attention of young viewers throughout the world due to its unique users to share their creative videos to their external environment and compile external audiovisual content.
However, despite its rise and popularity in many countries since its establishment, it has raised serious concerns pertaining to the privacy and security of the states and other claims that it is not good for the young generation. Due to these claims, most countries have banned the application from devices. In recent years, the United States initiated legislation to ban TikTok on claims that it is a threat to the national security and privacy of its citizens. The app is also under regulatory scrutiny in a number of countries because of data privacy and hosting immoral content that does not align with values and morals. The bans have associated impacts on digital culture and privacy. This research paper aims to examine in detail the background and rise of TikTok and the impact it has in contemporary digital culture through the use of secondary sources and case studies from various databases. The research will pick a number of peer review articles that discuss the rise and the ban of TikTok. Also, the research will analyze demographic use, which will contribute to how it has impacted the digital culture and the consequences which might arise in the event of banning the app in the united states.
Overview and background
TikTok is one of the popular video-sharing applications owned by ByteDance Ltd, a private Chinese company that has its main headquarters in Beijing. The app was launched in September 2013 under the name “Douyin” for the Chinese market. In its initial stages of development, the app only focused on the Asian market, such as Japan and Korea, which shares a common cultural feature. The app was unable to conquer the American and European markets, but the acquisition of a similar platform, musical.ly, was the most important step towards expanding the US market.
Due to the strong competition from Musical.ly, TikTok did however not compete directly with it. Instead, it used capital to turn competitors into alliances. For instance, it paid musical.ly US$1 billion and signed an acquisition agreement that paved the way and opened up overseas markets (Zeng et al., 2021). The company’s success in Europe and USA wa due to its focus on Gen Z. It is estimated that over 60% of TikTok users belong to the Generation Z cohort. According to a user report researched in 2021, 60% of adults in the US use the platform on a daily basis (Zeng & Kaye, 2021). A survey conducted by Ofcom media regulator in the United Kingdom revealed that almost half of the children aged 5-15 years used TikTok in 2020 to watch short videos.
The covid 19 lockdowns in 2020 opened a good space for the app to experience tremendous growth and cover a wider market. The app presented itself as an important source of lockdown entertainment and learning materials where it managed to attract older populations and adults of all occupations. In addition to the lockdown and Covid 19 related measures, technological and algorithmic features of the platform are also key factors towards its growth. Its machine learning-enabled algorithm does not require users to follow creators, but it decides what to feed users as they scroll through a never-ending video (Al-Maroof et al., 2021). To determine the types of videos it feeds its users, it uses three key algorithms, namely recommendation algorithm, content classification algorithm, and User profiling algorithm.
Despite the growth and global user base, it has been subject to criticisms and speculations about the ethics of the platform, its social, and cultural implications and its objectives. For instance, the platform has been accused of the excessive extraction of data and analysis practices which include unnecessary copying of user data from phones and collection of location information (Supak, 2020). Moreover, it has also been accused of holding immoral content which is harmful to society. For instance, in 2020, the platform, according to the BBC reports, had a substantial presence of extremist and libertarian groups in the United States.
Case Studies: Countries that Have Banned TikTok
Various countries have formulated proposals to ban the use of the app within certain geographical regions, majorly due to security issues concerned with the ban. India is one of the countries that banned TikTok in June 2020, along with other Chinese apps. The ban was triggered by border issues that brought about tensions between India and China (Chakraborty et al., 2020). The Government of India expressed concerns arising from the nature and TikTok algorithm for data security and transmission of user data from one country to another. In addition to this, there were worries about explicit content transmitted via TikTok and cyberbullying. The ban had a significant impact on the Indian market and digital culture in India.
Pakistan also banned TikTok in October 2020 over concerns that it spread immoral and indecent content. The communication authority of the country received numerous complaints about TikTok that it promoted vulgarity and indecency .The ban was, however lifted after a comprehensive mechanism to moderate content was initiated with TikTok that meets the local laws .The use can be wise such as using it in disseminating critical information such as the medical field(.Basch & Jaime, 2020). The same concerns also motivated Indonesia to ban TikTok over explicit and blasphemous content and also spread of hate speech in the country .The Indonesian Government required TikTok to establish a physical office in the country to address such concerns, therefore, emphasizing the importance of accountability and physical presence .
In the United States, TikTok has gained a wider market, and its ban is significantly affecting the digital culture and security concerns. In 2020, the Trump administration issued an executive order aimed at banning TikTok and WeChat in the country. The primary reason for this is due to the exploitation of user data by the Chinese Government via the platform’s parent company, ByteDance, headquartered in China. In addition, the app has been used to transmit political discourses, which results in violence in the country (Guinaudeau, 2020). The subject has brought a heated debate, with Montana being the first state in the US to ban TikTok use and make it illegal for app stores to offer TikTok but not ban those who already have the app. The lawsuits of the TikTok company cite the action as a violation of the constitutional First Amendment right to free speech (Pearlstein & Dellamore, 2023). According to the company’s lawsuits, the ban was unconstitutionally shutting down the speech forum for all the users of the app. According to CBS News, the app is the most popular platform used in America and is used by almost half of the American population. Banning it might be impossible. However, congress has three concerns that motivate its ban; TikTok collects user data, kids get addicted as a result of spending more time on the platform and individuals can find misinformation and violence through using the app.
The Effects of the Ban on Digital Culture
The ban on TikTok as a communication platform has had a significant impact on digital culture. For instance, India’s ban, which had a significant number of users surpassing 200 million, had an effect on content creation and consumption patterns. The ban in India led to the development of alternative platforms like Moj and Chingari. These platforms aimed at filling the gap left by TikTok; they were challenged with maintenance of a comparable user base and maintenance of the same level of engagement. The ban prompted content creators to explore other platforms, resulting in a shift in digital culture and the creation of new content ecosystems.
Although the United States had not or has not completely banned TikTok, the potential ban in 2020 and the Montana ban had significant implications for digital culture. The uncertain future of TikTok led to a sense of urgency among content creators to diversify their online presence and explore alternative platforms like Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts. Consumer habits are greatly affected, given that the majority of organizations depend on such a platform for marketing purposes. The discussions surrounding the ban also prompted a broader conversation about data privacy, national security, and the influence of foreign-owned social media platforms on digital culture.
The ban will have an effect on influencer marketing in the united states and other countries where the app has a wide user base. TikTok has become a powerful platform for influencer marketing, enabling brands to reach and engage with younger audiences. According to CBS News, Baedri Nichole, founder of a bakery in Columbus, Ohio, testifies that the platform has tough her e-commerce, shipping and pitching clients. When the ban is imposed, influencer marketing will experience significant changes as marketers will have to find alternative platforms and strategies to connect with their clients. Brands have already begun using this platform to promote their products through the use of challenges. Challenges are popular on the platform and encourage users to create their own videos based on a certain topic or duplicate a particular dance. Brands start their campaign with influencer marketing by organizing a challenge around a specific product but then watch it spread among other people. The ban, therefore, limits such activities from taking place.
Conclusion
TikTok is a growing and influential platform in most of the countries. Due to its marketing strategies, the app has managed to expand its coverage in most of the countries. However, with its parent company, is based in China, the app has experienced scrutiny in most countries where it is being threatened with being banned. Most countries, such as India and Pakistan, imposed a ban on the app, citing concerns that it collects user data which is dangerous to the security of the country. The United state also threatened to ban the app during the Trump administration. Some states, like Montana, imposed a ban that has significantly affected the digital culture and limited the sharing of information. These bans have also resulted in a disruption of content creation patterns, influenced user engagement, and spurred the emergence of alternative platforms. Content creators and influencer marketers have been forced to diversify their presence across platforms, adapting to the changing landscape and exploring new avenues for expression. The ban has also raised discussions about data privacy, national security, and cultural values resulting in a broad conversation on the role played by social media platforms and their impact on digital culture. As countries navigate the complexities of regulating platforms like TikTok, it is crucial to consider the evolving digital landscape, user behaviour, and the need to strike a balance between addressing concerns and fostering a vibrant digital culture.
References
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