NEW DELHI - The popular Chinese app TikTok may soon be facing its exit from the United States as a bill to ban the video-sharing platform has passed through Congress and is now awaiting final approval from President Biden. This move echoes a similar ban that took place in India almost four years ago. Let's take a closer look at the events that led to TikTok's ban in India and how users and creators reacted to it.
Why was TikTok banned in India? In June 2020, amidst escalating tensions between India and China following a deadly clash at the border, the Indian government decided to ban TikTok along with several other Chinese apps. The ban was a response to concerns about privacy and security, with the government citing Chinese apps as a threat to India's sovereignty. The ban received support from the Indian public, who had been advocating for a boycott of Chinese products in the wake of the border clash.
Digital policy expert Nikhil Pahwa highlighted that the ban on TikTok was part of a larger trend of restrictions on Chinese companies in India, with over 500 Chinese apps being banned in total. How did users and creators respond? At the time of the ban, India had approximately 200 million TikTok users, many of whom relied on the platform for entertainment and income. The ban created an opportunity for other platforms to fill the void left by TikTok.
Google launched YouTube Shorts and Instagram introduced Reels, both of which offered similar short-form video creation features. While many TikTok users and creators transitioned to these new platforms, some still reminisced about the unique hyperlocal content that TikTok enabled. Winnie Sangma, a former TikTok user who now creates content on Instagram, noted that while he was able to build a following and earn money on the new platform, the experience was not quite the same as on TikTok.
Rajib Dutta, another former TikTok user, also made the switch to Instagram after the ban and found the transition to be relatively smooth. However, he acknowledged that the experience on Instagram was different from what he had enjoyed on TikTok. How does the Indian ban differ from the U.
S.? In the United States, the bill to ban TikTok gives ByteDance, the parent company of the app, a nine-month window to sell TikTok or face a ban. This timeframe allows for a potential sale to take place, with an additional three months if negotiations are ongoing.
However, if no sale is made within the specified timeframe, TikTok will be banned. The Indian ban, on the other hand, was swift and did not provide the same opportunity for companies to address concerns and potentially avoid a ban. Pahwa highlighted the differences in the legal environments between the U.S. and India, noting that litigating a ban in the U.S.could be more challenging due to the robust protections of free speech under the First Amendment. As concerns about Chinese apps and their potential national security risks continue to grow globally, Pahwa emphasized the need for countries to evaluate their reliance on Chinese technology and develop strategies to reduce it. The ban on TikTok in India, as well as in other countries like Pakistan, Nepal, Afghanistan, and some European nations, underscores the wider concerns about Chinese apps and their ties to Chinese intelligence and cybersecurity laws.
In conclusion, the ban on TikTok in India and the potential ban in the U.S. highlight the complex issues surrounding Chinese apps and their implications for national security and privacy.
As countries around the world grapple with these challenges, it is essential to create distinct regulations that safeguard democratic values and protect against potential threats from authoritarian regimes.
English (US)