AS a TikTok ban looms, users and creators look back on its impact on internet culture and wonder what their online lives would be like without it.
TikTok has made a huge impact, making more people famous than almost any other company in history. However, it has also stirred controversy wherever it went. In 2020, India banned the app, and now the US is considering doing the same.
A law is set to take effect on January 19, which would essentially ban TikTok in the US unless its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, sells the app. This follows a failed attempt to save TikTok in the Supreme Court. Despite both President Biden and President-elect Donald Trump previously supporting the ban, there are signs that Trump might still try to save the app when he takes office.
This situation highlights how much is at stake, with both outgoing and incoming US Presidents involved. The law banning TikTok was passed by Congress because of concerns over national security. Lawmakers are worried that the Chinese government could use the app to collect personal data or spread propaganda. TikTok denies these claims, saying it would never allow the Chinese government to interfere with user data or content.
Despite TikTok’s efforts to stop the law in court, they were unsuccessful. This leaves the app’s future uncertain, especially since it has become such a big part of online culture. If the ban goes through, it could change the way many people use the internet, and the cultural impact of TikTok would be deeply felt.
As the threat of a TikTok ban looms, users are preparing for a cultural loss. Despite its criticisms, many feel TikTok gave them a sense of support and empowerment. Some worry they might lose their online home, a space that apps like Instagram or YouTube can’t replace.
TikTok’s impact is unmatched by any other platform in recent memory. It became central to political debates, kept people up at night with endless scrolling, and brought news, entertainment, and social life into its powerful yet unpredictable algorithm. But it also supported small businesses, with TikTok reporting over seven million businesses using the app and generating $15 billion in revenue for US businesses in 2023.
The app filled countless hours with entertaining and informative content and provided opportunities for activists and artists. In just a few years, TikTok reshaped social media and impacted many lives.
A third of US adults and most teenagers are on TikTok, and globally, the app has been downloaded nearly five billion times. In fact, more internet memes now come from TikTok than any other source. There’s no doubt that TikTok is the center of online culture.
While it’s still unclear how the TikTok ban will be enforced, Biden administration officials, who supported the ban, said the app won’t shut down immediately. The incoming Trump administration has also expressed interest in saving it. As TikTok’s future in the US remains uncertain, users and creators are considering moving to other platforms, like YouTube Shorts or Instagram Reels, or even new apps like Red Note. However, many doubt these alternatives can replicate TikTok’s unique appeal.
The TikTok we know today started in 2018, but it became really popular during the Covid-19 pandemic when people spent more time online in 2020. The first TikTok stars became famous by posting videos from their bedrooms during lockdown. In April 2020, ByteDance also released CapCut, an easy-to-use video editing app that made it simple for users to create and edit videos. CapCut allowed more people to get creative with their videos and share them on TikTok, helping the platform grow.
“It was a moment of collective effervescence,” says Robert B, an American creator with over a quarter-million followers, who started making TikTok videos during the 2020 lockdown. Robert, who asked to keep his full name private for safety reasons, creates educational videos about medieval music. He liked TikTok because it let him make music with others even though they couldn’t meet in person.
Having tried other tools to mix voices and instruments, he found TikTok to be much quicker and easier. Features like “stitches” and “duets,” where users can respond to and build on each other’s videos, helped music and dance thrive during the pandemic. “I was able to feel a connection with those people,” Robert says. “Even though they didn’t know me, sometimes they saw my videos, and sometimes they didn’t.”