The TikTok ban appears likely to remain in place after the U.S. Supreme Court listened to arguments last week, leaving content creators just one week to figure out their options about what other social media platform they can use to connect with their audience.
Why Is TikTok Getting Banned?
Congress passed a bill last year that ordered TikTok's parent company ByteDance to divest the social media platform or face a ban in the U.S. Lawmakers cited concerns that the company, which is based in China, could use the platform to influence users, calling TikTok a national security concern.
Lawmakers gave TikTok nine months to sell or be banned, and TikTok pursued every legal option available including an appeal to the Supreme Court. The Court has not yet rendered its decision and will likely provide its verdict before the ban takes effect next week, but analysts determined after hearing arguments and the questions from the justices that it is unlikely TikTok will survive the challenge.
The ban will go into effect on January 19, 2025, and would initially mean TikTok will not be able to update the app anymore and it cannot be downloaded from an app store. It could remain active for a time, but without updates, eventually the app will stop functioning altogether. TikTok has also indicated that it might shut down operations altogether on January 19 to avoid any potential issues.
Noel Francisco, a lawyer for TikTok and ByteDance, told the justices that he believed the app could go dark, but that would be at the behest of service providers who would do so over concerns of violating the text of the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act.
What Is the Best Alternative to TikTok?
The most similar mechanism to TikTok on another platform would be Instagram Reels. In fact, a lot of TikTok content creators also have Instagram accounts where they recycle their material. Users regularly joke that Instagram's reel content has a monthslong lag behind TikTok, showing the direct connection (albeit with delay) that the two platforms have.
YouTube has also tried to capitalize on short video content through its "YouTube Shorts," which have some traction but not as much as either TikTok or Instagram Reels.
Additionally, another ByteDance app, Lemon8, has gained traction over the past few weeks as the looming TikTok ban has grown closer.
What Other Platforms Are Content Creators and Influencers Turning To?
Many have already suggested that Instagram will see a significant boom after a TikTok ban goes through, and many TikTok creators have joked about waking up their old Instagram or even their Facebook accounts to keep generating content.
Another option would be to see Twitch, which is owned by Amazon mainly known for live-streaming content, receive a boost in users. TikTok over the past two years had tried to compete with Twitch and boost its own livestreaming options.
How Is ByteDance App Lemon8 Different From TikTok?
Lemon8 launched in the U.S. in 2023 and offers video and photo media posts, making it a seeming union of Instagram and TikTok that could now receive a massive boost in users thanks to the TikTok ban.
Currently, Lemon8 automatically syncs up using TikTok information. The initial home screen resembles a fusion of TikTok's search page and its "For You" page, giving users the options of scrolling through content that is either video or photo.
A good number of TikTok creators have already started making the move to Lemon8, even though the algorithm does not seem as conducive to discovering new users as TikTok made it.
Opening a photo post brings up a very similar page to an Instagram post, while opening a video gives the option to swipe up and see new videos the way TikTok does. The mix of media on the homepage means users have to pick through what they want to see first.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.
English (US) ·