If the TikTok Ban Gets Signed in 2024: What Happens Next?

In 2024, President Joe Biden signed a bill into law that could ban TikTok in the U.S., sparking concern among the 170 million TikTok users. The legislation, which gives TikTok nine months to sell its U.S. operations or face a ban, is driven by concerns over national security and the app’s ties to its parent company, ByteDance, and the Chinese Communist Party. 

Lawmakers argue that TikTok could share American data with the Chinese government, raising constitutional debates over the First Amendment. As TikTok fights this ban, users are left wondering how it will impact their privacy and what steps they can take to protect their personal information.

As lawmakers worked to sign the bill, the final version also included a foreign aid package providing aid to several countries, such as Israel, Taiwan, and Ukraine. Maria Cantwell, a key supporter of the legislation, emphasized that the combination of national security measures and foreign aid highlights the broader scope of the bill’s importance.

The ban on TikTok would revolve around concerns about data privacy and national security. Here’s a breakdown of why TikTok is under scrutiny and how the situation has evolved:

• TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, is based in China: This raises concerns because Chinese laws could force ByteDance to share data with the Chinese government.
  
• Potential data sharing: Lawmakers fear TikTok could be required to share American user data, including personal information like location and search history, with the Chinese Communist Party.
  
• Worries about data misuse: The U.S. government is concerned that this data could be used for spying, influencing American public opinion, or other harmful purposes.

• Risk to sensitive information: The U.S. fears TikTok could expose the private data of its 170 million American users, including government employees and other sensitive personnel.
  
• Potential manipulation and espionage: Lawmakers are concerned that the Chinese government could use this information for espionage or to spread propaganda.
  
• Existing bans on government devices: TikTok has already been banned from U.S. government devices due to these national security concerns.

• Trump administration’s efforts (2020):
  
  • President Trump issued executive orders to ban TikTok unless ByteDance sold its U.S. operations to an American company.
    
  • TikTok was given 90 days to sell its U.S. operations, with companies like Oracle and Microsoft showing interest in buying.
    
  • Court delays: The ban was blocked by federal judges who ruled the threat was not clearly proven and called the ban “hypothetical.”
    
• Biden administration’s approach (2021–2023):
  
  • President Biden paused the ban and conducted a review of TikTok’s risks.
    
  • In early 2023, Biden’s administration banned TikTok from all federal government devices.
    
  • By 2024, President Joe Biden signed a bill into law that gives TikTok nine months to sell its U.S. operations or face a ban.
    
  • This new legislation passed with bipartisan support, reflecting broad concern about the app’s potential risks.

• Legal battle: TikTok has called the ban unconstitutional and is preparing to fight it in court.
  
• TikTok users’ uncertainty: For now, TikTok remains available, but its future in the U.S. depends on whether it can sell its U.S. operations or win the legal battle against the government.
  
• Broader implications: This fight could set a precedent for how social media platforms are regulated in terms of user data and privacy, not just for TikTok, but for other apps as well.

When using TikTok, you might not realize how much data the app collects from you. This data helps TikTok understand your habits and preferences, which in turn improves the videos you see. However, many people are concerned about what TikTok does with this information and how much control users really have over their personal data. Let's break down what TikTok collects, how it compares to other social media platforms, and why data collection is a widespread issue, not just a TikTok problem.

TikTok collects a wide range of data, often without users being fully aware of the extent. Here’s a list of the most common types of data the app gathers:

• Location data: TikTok can track your physical location through your phone’s GPS or other location services. This allows the app to show you content relevant to your area.
  
• Search history: TikTok tracks what you search for within the app, helping it recommend similar videos or topics that align with your interests.
  
• Viewing habits: The app records which videos you watch, how long you spend on them, and which ones you like, share, or comment on.
  
• Device information: TikTok collects data about your phone or tablet, including the model, operating system, IP address, and even your mobile carrier.
  
• Personal details: If you link TikTok to your other social media accounts or sign up using your email or phone number, the app also collects that information. It may even sync with your contacts.

TikTok isn’t the only app collecting large amounts of data from its users. In fact, data collection is a standard practice across many popular social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter). Here’s how TikTok’s data collection compares to other platforms:

• Facebook/Instagram (Meta):
  
  • Collects detailed user data, including your interactions with posts, friends’ information, the websites you visit, and even your activity on other apps connected to Facebook.
    
  • Facebook and Instagram also track your location, contact details, and browsing behavior. In 2021, Facebook faced a data breach affecting over 533 million users worldwide, highlighting the risk of data collection on such a massive scale.
    
• X (formerly Twitter):
  
  • Collects information about the tweets you interact with, your search history, and your device information.
    
  • X also tracks the links you click on, your location, and what other apps you’re using while on the platform. It is known for gathering a detailed map of your digital footprint across the web.
    
• Snapchat:
  
  • Like TikTok, Snapchat collects location data, device information, search history, and even images or videos you send (though they’re meant to disappear).
    
  • Snapchat also tracks who your friends are and how you interact with them on the platform.

It’s important to understand that TikTok is just one player in the larger world of data collection. Almost every social media platform is in the business of gathering as much information as possible about its users. Why? Because your data is extremely valuable. Companies use this data to:

• Target advertisements: Advertisers can use the data to show you products or services based on your interests, location, or browsing history. For example, if you’ve searched for vacation spots, you might start seeing ads for hotels or flights.
  
• Sell data to third parties: While some companies claim not to sell personal data, many share it with third-party partners who use it for various marketing or research purposes. Your information can also end up with data brokers, who compile data from multiple sources to create detailed profiles about you.
  
• Improve algorithms: Data helps platforms refine their algorithms, making the content you see more engaging. This might seem helpful at first, but it also raises concerns about how much control the platforms have over what you see and how they shape your online experiences.

In 2024, President Biden signed a bill into law that could lead to the ban of TikTok in the U.S., marking a major development in the ongoing debate over the video app and its connection to ByteDance, its Chinese owner. The TikTok ban bill passed the Senate on Tuesday, and by Wednesday, Biden signed the bill into law. The law now gives ByteDance 270 days to find a new owner for TikTok’s U.S. operations or face a nationwide ban.

This bill to force a sale aims to address concerns about TikTok’s collection of sensitive data from its 170 million U.S. users. Lawmakers and security experts worry that TikTok, which is controlled by the Chinese Communist Party, could share data with the Chinese government, leading to risks for national security. The Biden administration and Congress have made it clear that if ByteDance would fail to sell TikTok within a year, the app could be shut down in the U.S.

TikTok has been fighting back against the ban bill, with CEO Shou Zi Chew leading the charge. TikTok said the bill violates the speech rights of its users and that they will fight the law in court, calling it “this unconstitutional law.” Chew and TikTok’s legal team argue that the app is being unfairly targeted due to its ownership, and they’ve vowed to keep fighting for your rights in the courts. Shou Zi Chew has also pointed out that TikTok’s recommendation algorithm is transparent and doesn’t pose a threat to national security.

The version of the bill that passed the bill in Congress contains a provision that could give ByteDance more time to sell, but if not, TikTok would be prohibited from operating in the U.S. without a sale to an American company. While the potential TikTok ban looms, TikTok users could face the possibility of losing access to the platform entirely. Lawmakers and security experts are closely monitoring the situation, as TikTok potentially continues to challenge the decision.

Some worry that the ban of TikTok might be the first of many steps targeting other platforms with foreign ties. For now, as the bill is signed into law, the focus remains on whether TikTok will be able to comply by finding a new owner or fight the law in court to stay operational in the U.S. The TikTok CEO Shou has assured users that “the facts and the Constitution are on our side,” and that TikTok will keep fighting for your rights in this legal battle.

The idea of banning TikTok might seem like a big step toward protecting your personal data, but the truth is, it doesn’t fully solve the larger issue of online privacy. While concerns about TikTok’s ties to China are a major reason for the potential ban, the problem goes beyond TikTok. Many other platforms and companies are collecting your personal information too, and there’s a bigger issue at play: the lack of comprehensive privacy laws that protect your data on all platforms.

Let’s dive deeper into why banning TikTok alone won’t protect your data and what needs to change to truly address the problem.

TikTok is just one of many platforms that collect user data. In fact, the problem extends to almost every app and website you use, from Facebook to Google to the smaller apps on your phone. Right now, the U.S. does not have a single, strong federal privacy law that sets clear rules for how companies can collect, store, and share your data.

What this means is that even if TikTok is banned, other companies are still free to gather information about you, often without you realizing just how much they’re collecting.

Here’s what’s happening:

• No single law protecting your data: The U.S. lacks a universal privacy law like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in Europe, which gives individuals more control over their personal information. In the U.S., there’s a patchwork of laws that cover different industries or types of data, but nothing comprehensive that applies to every app or platform.
  
• Different states, different rules: Some states, like California, have passed their own privacy laws, such as the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), which gives residents more control over their data. However, these laws only apply within that state and aren’t consistent nationwide, leaving gaps in protection for users in other states.
  
• Other platforms collect your data too: Apps like Facebook, Instagram, and Google collect massive amounts of user data, often for the same reasons TikTok does—to improve their services and to sell targeted ads. If TikTok disappears, these platforms will still be collecting data about your location, search history, friends, and more, with few restrictions on how they can use or share it.
  

Even if TikTok gets banned, another problem remains: data brokers. Data brokers are companies that collect, buy, and sell personal information, often without you even knowing about it. They gather data from many sources, including social media platforms, apps, public records, and websites you visit. Once they have your data, they can sell it to advertisers, businesses, or even other brokers.

Here’s why this is a major issue:

• Data brokers know more than you think: Data brokers create detailed profiles about individuals based on information like your browsing habits, social media activity, purchase history, and even public records like property ownership or marriage licenses. These profiles can include very personal details about you, such as your interests, your health concerns, and your financial situation.
  
• You have little control: Most people don’t know that data brokers exist, let alone that they’re collecting and selling their information. This lack of transparency means that even if you take steps to protect your privacy on individual apps like TikTok or Facebook, data brokers might still be gathering and selling your data behind the scenes.
  
• Buying and selling your data: Data brokers sell this information to other companies for advertising, market research, or even more controversial uses, like targeting political ads based on your profile. Some data brokers also sell information to employers, insurers, or other organizations that might use your data to make decisions about you, often without you knowing or having a say.

To truly protect people’s privacy, we need more than just a ban on TikTok. We need strong, nationwide privacy laws that:

• Limit how much data companies can collect: Companies should only collect the data they truly need, and users should have the ability to opt out of unnecessary data collection.
  
• Give people control over their data: Individuals should have the right to know what data companies and data brokers have about them and should be able to delete or correct it if needed.
  
• Hold companies accountable: Companies that misuse or fail to protect your data should face serious consequences, like fines or lawsuits.

Data privacy is important because it protects your personal information from being misused, whether by hackers, companies, or scammers. Here’s why it’s so important:

Data breaches occur when hackers steal sensitive information from companies. One major example is Facebook’s 2021 breach, which exposed the personal details of 533 million users—including phone numbers, emails, and locations. Once this data is leaked, cybercriminals can use it for phishing scams, identity theft, or sell it on the dark web. Breaches like this are common and can leave you vulnerable without you even knowing it.

Social media platforms are also risky because they gather a lot of personal data. Cybercriminals can misuse this data to commit identity theft, pretending to be you and causing serious harm.

For instance, scammers can steal your photos and personal details to create fake profiles, tricking others or even committing fraud in your name. Recovering from identity theft can take months, impacting your finances and reputation.

Protecting your personal data is essential in today’s digital world, where your information is often collected, shared, and sold by data brokers. My Data Removal offers tools to help you take control of your data easily and effectively.

• Free scan: Start by running a free data scan to find out where your personal information is being stored online by data brokers.
  
• Opt-out guides: My Data Removal provides free step-by-step guides to help you remove your data from these sites, reducing your risk of identity theft and spam.

• Save time: Manually removing your data can take hours. My Data Removal automates the process, handling opt-out requests for you.
  
• Continuous protection: Their service monitors data broker sites and resubmits removal requests if your data reappears.
  
• Comprehensive coverage: The system ensures your data is removed from all major broker sites, saving you time and hassle.

If you're concerned about how much of your personal information is visible on TikTok, the good news is that you can take steps to make your account more private. While TikTok will still collect some data no matter what, adjusting your privacy settings can help protect your information from being shared with other users and limit the app’s reach into your contacts.

Here’s a simple, step-by-step guide on how to make your TikTok account more private and secure.

One of the first things you can do to protect your privacy on TikTok is to switch your account from public to private. A private account means that only people you approve as followers can see your videos, likes, and followers list.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Open the TikTok app and go to your profile by tapping the profile icon in the bottom right corner.
   
2. Tap the three-line menu icon in the top right corner to access the Settings and Privacy menu.
   
3. Scroll down and tap Privacy.
   
4. At the top of the screen, you’ll see the option for Private Account. Toggle this switch on to make your account private.

Another way to improve your privacy is by stopping TikTok from automatically connecting you with people based on your phone contacts or social media friends. This feature might seem convenient, but it means TikTok is syncing your contacts and using that information to suggest your account to others and vice versa. Here’s how you can unlink your contacts and turn off account suggestions:

To stop syncing your contacts:

1. Open the TikTok app and go to Settings and Privacy.
   
2. Tap Privacy, then scroll down and select Sync Contacts and Facebook Friends.
   
3. Toggle off the switches for Sync Contacts and Sync Facebook Friends.
   

Turning off these settings ensures that TikTok won’t automatically connect your profile to people in your phone’s contacts or on Facebook. You can also remove previously synced contacts to ensure the app no longer has access to that information.

To disable account suggestions:

1. Go to the Privacy section again in your settings.
   
2. Scroll down to Suggest Your Account to Others.
   
3. Toggle off the switches for all options, including Contacts, Facebook Friends, People with Mutual Connections, and People who Open or Send Links.

Even though TikTok collects some data behind the scenes, adjusting these privacy settings can limit how much of your information is shared with other users or synced with contacts.

Making your account private and unlinking contacts puts you in control of who can see your activity and keeps your personal data safer from unwanted exposure.

The question on many people’s minds is, "Will TikTok actually be banned in the U.S.?" The truth is, the situation is still unfolding, and while a ban is possible, nothing is certain yet.

What we do know is that the U.S. government has serious concerns about TikTok’s relationship with its parent company, ByteDance, and its ties to the Chinese government.

This has led to a push for either forcing TikTok to sell its U.S. operations or banning it altogether if those concerns aren't addressed.

Even though President Joe Biden has signed a bill that could ban TikTok if it doesn’t sell its U.S. operations, the legal process may still take time to unfold. TikTok has called the ban “unconstitutional” and is preparing to fight it in court. This could mean a long legal battle with appeals that stretch on for months, or even years.

Here’s what makes the legal situation complicated:

• First Amendment concerns: TikTok’s legal team argues that banning the app violates the First Amendment rights of its users, as it restricts free speech and access to a platform where people share their opinions and creative content.
  
• The courts may decide: If TikTok challenges the ban, it could go through various levels of the judicial system, potentially even reaching the Supreme Court. Until a final ruling is made, TikTok will likely remain available in the U.S.

Even if TikTok is banned, there’s a larger issue that won’t be solved by this one action: the need for stronger privacy protections across all social media platforms. The focus on TikTok has highlighted just how much data social media companies collect from users, but TikTok isn’t the only platform doing this.

Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and Snapchat all gather vast amounts of personal data, including your location, search history, and online activities.

Here’s the problem:

• Lack of comprehensive privacy laws: Right now, the U.S. doesn’t have a strong, nationwide privacy law that protects all users from excessive data collection across platforms. This means that even if TikTok is banned, your data could still be collected, sold, and used by other apps you use every day.
  
• Data brokers and third-party sharing: Many companies share your personal information with data brokers, who then sell it to advertisers and other businesses. This practice puts your data at risk and highlights the need for broader regulations to protect everyone’s privacy.

As the TikTok ban bill moves forward, the future of TikTok in the U.S. remains uncertain. While President Biden signed the bill into law, giving ByteDance 270 days to sell or face a ban, the legal battle isn’t over. TikTok and its CEO Shou Zi Chew are prepared to fight the law in court, calling it unconstitutional and a violation of speech rights. Whether TikTok finds a new owner or continues to challenge the ban, the situation highlights the ongoing concerns about privacy and data security on social media platforms.

The broader issue of data privacy across all platforms continues to be a major concern. Whether you use TikTok, Facebook, or other apps, it’s crucial to take steps to protect your personal information now.

For more in-depth coverage and updates on the potential TikTok ban, be sure to check out our video on YouTube, where we break down all the details and what you can do to stay informed and protect your data.