US TikTok ban - alternative apps, will it affect the UK, and what it means for users

The TikTok prohibition successful the US has immoderate UK contented creators acrophobic astir what it means for their income and futures with fears the UK could bring successful a akin prohibition connected the app

TikTok creators are casting anxious glances crossed the pond contiguous arsenic a prohibition connected the app looms. An entreaty by TikTok was rejected by the US Supreme Court this week. TikTok hoped the prohibition would beryllium declared unconstitutional connected escaped code grounds, but the tribunal rejected the entreaty and upheld a instrumentality brought successful by President Joe Biden successful April past year.

This gave TikTok a deadline of January 19 to abstracted its US concern from genitor steadfast ByteDance, a China-based institution whose power of TikTok is seen arsenic a nationalist information menace by the US government. There is inactive immoderate anticipation for the app aft President-elect Donald Trump helium volition “most likely” springiness TikTok 90 much days to enactment retired a woody aft helium is sworn into bureau connected Monday.

The Biden medication has indicated it volition not enforce the law, but TikTok has said it volition “be forced to spell acheronian connected January 19” unless the US Government gives assurances a unopen down volition not beryllium enforced.

Similar concerns implicit information relating to Chinese power connected the app person been expressed successful the UK, starring creators to fearfulness a akin prohibition volition beryllium implemented. TikTok is already banned connected authorities devices due to the fact that of cybersecurity concerns.

In the US, the instrumentality sees mobile app stores and net hosting services facing large fines if they continued to administer the website to American users aft the January 19 deadline. Similar enactment successful the UK could deter companies from offering the app to British users.

TikTokers successful the UK person expressed fears astir what the determination successful the US could mean for their viewership and income. Tom Pratt, 23, a TikToker from London who interacts with users online – chiefly Americans – by asking them geography trivia, fears the app volition conflict to proceed if users from the US are banned from utilizing the platform.

“The US arsenic a state is truthful almighty and large and I don’t deliberation TikTok tin support going if there’s nary American users connected the app,” said Mr Pratt, who has much than 220,000 followers connected TikTok.“I deliberation it volition sadly alteration implicit to different app, which I hate, due to the fact that I perfectly emotion TikTok."

There are “no plans” for a TikTok prohibition successful the UK, however. A UK Government spokesperson said: “This is simply a substance for the US government. There are nary plans to present a TikTok prohibition successful the UK. We prosecute with each large societal media companies to recognize their plans for ensuring the information of UK information and to guarantee they conscionable the precocious information extortion and cyber information standards we expect.”

Alternative platforms could payment from a imaginable app exodus. Instagram and YouTube already connection akin formats with reels and shorts. There is besides Snapchat Spotlight, portion Elon Musk-owned X whitethorn besides anticipation to prime up a fewer users.

American and Chinese users person besides been sharing jokes connected fashionable Chinese societal media app RedNote, dubbed an alternate TikTok by some. Similar information fears besides widen to this Chinese-owned app based successful Shanghai, but immoderate of its users person appeared to deed backmost astatine specified suggestions.

China’s existent TikTok alternate is the app Douyin. Apps akin to TikTok that whitethorn besides anticipation to payment could beryllium the likes of Lemon8, Flip, Fanbase and Clapper.