Welcome to the 17th issue of NetMission’s news and policy digest, where we transform recent tech news and policy into a bit-size reader for you. In this edition, we’re going to dissect everything TikTok.
The Ripple Effect of the U.S. TikTok Divestiture/ Ban
In April 2024, the U.S. passed a law that requires ByteDance, the China-based parent company of TikTok, to divest its U.S. operations or face a ban within the country. In May, TikTok and its parent company filed a legal challenge against the U.S. government, calling the law unconstitutional. Politicians in the States had been working on a TikTok divestiture or ban for years, citing concerns over data security and national security. Despite TikTok’s international leadership, “TikTok is Chinese at its core”, posing a significant risk to the U.S. as the Chinese government’s adversary.
In Australia, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and Senator James Paterson want Canberra to follow suit, fearing TikTok’s ties to the Chinese government could threaten the country’s democracy. However, Australia’s Communications Minister Michelle Rowland has downplayed the likelihood of expanding the existing TikTok ban from government devices to a nationwide ban. Essentially, the U.S.’s push for TikTok’s divestiture would address Australia’s worries about the Chinese Communist Party potentially accessing user data or inciting social unrest, without Australia having to undertake significant additional measures.
Snapshot of TikTok Bans in the Asia Pacific
TikTok has been banned in various countries in the Asia-Pacific region on different scales. While Australia and New Zealand banned the app on government devices, Indonesia banned TikTok’s in-app transaction function to protect small businesses, and Pakistan has banned TikTok four times previously. Meanwhile, the Philippines has rejected a proposal to ban TikTok, citing the “maximum step” of a ban won’t be necessary as long as the app follows rules on privacy and cybersecurity.
In Taiwan, comparable policies are in place within government agencies and their premises. Currently, the Cabinet is deliberating whether to broaden this prohibition to encompass schools, non-governmental organizations, and public spaces. Nonetheless, the restriction on the public use of TikTok represents a significant policy issue transcending mere legal proceedings.
Some countries pursued a stringent strategy by implementing a full-scale nationwide ban. For instance, India implemented a ban on the app, along with other 500+ Chinese apps like the messaging app WeChat in 2020, and made the ban permanent in 2021. Similarly, Nepal banned the app in November 2023, citing that its content “was detrimental to social harmony”. Likewise, Afghanistan’s Taliban leadership ordered a ban on the app in 2022 on the grounds of protecting young people from “being misled”.
TikTok’s Sibling
TikTok has never been available in mainland China, instead, there’s a Chinese equivalent, Douyin (抖音, translated as “vibrating sound”) which is heavily censored and monitored for rule-breaking content. For instance, Cantonese livestreams were suspended by the platform due to language deemed “unrecognizable”. Celebrities’ accounts were removed for wealth show-offs and notably, actress Angelababy’s Douyin account was restricted after reportedly being at Blackpink’s Lisa’s “Crazy Horse” show.
Interestingly, TikTok was accessible in Hong Kong, a special administrative region of China, for a brief period. However, TikTok ceased operations in Hong Kong just a few days after the enactment of the national security law in 2020, which the law grants police the authority to demand platform operators the removal of online content on “reasonable grounds” that such content violates the law.
Despite TikTok’s withdrawal from Hong Kong, users in the region have turned to Douyin, ByteDance’s favorite child, as well as other popular short-video apps like Kuaishou (快手) and social media platforms such as the RED/Xiaohongshu (小红书). These platforms are particularly popular among the younger generation, especially Gen Alpha. Interestingly, many children in Hong Kong are increasingly consuming Mandarin content to the extent that some are drifting away from speaking Cantonese, the traditional mother tongue of most Hong Kong residents. This shift reveals the profound influence of social media, not only in shaping individual behaviors but in transforming an entire generation rapidly and comprehensively.
Epilogue: Is TikTok A Public Health Issue?
Social media use during the COVID-19 pandemic among adolescents seemed to have triggered what have called “TikTok Tics” back in 2022. Despite the sociogenic illness it might have triggered, there are debates around the broader impacts of TikTok on the well-being of the public, especially the younger generation.
Perhaps you’re also a regular user of TikTok, and you might recognize the platform as a daily source of quick entertainment and a dopamine boost. Undeniably, its highly engaging short-form video content captivates millions, but this constant engagement comes at a cost.
TikTok’s rapid-fire content delivery can drastically shorten our attention spans and foster excessive screen time. This, combined with our usage patterns and the nature of the content we consume, can contribute to addictive behavior and impact our mental health negatively.
Additionally, social media itself will easily trap us in an echoing chamber, where we reinforce our existing beliefs and limit our exposure to diverse perspectives. For the younger generation, this poses risks not only regarding the security concerns raised by governments but also in stifling intellectual diversity and creativity.
What are we listening to?
For some reason, I’ve never had a TikTok or Douying account. However, TikTok’s videos are highly recognizable on other platforms like Instagram and Reddit, where people often repost the clips with TikTok’s signature sonic logo at the end.
Recently, I tuned into an episode of the “Twenty Thousand Hertz” podcast. It was fascinating to delve into the story behind this rapidly growing sonic logo and hear how the creative team crafted that distinctive “boom-bling” sound for such a wildly popular app.
Written by Jenna Manhau Fung (Reviewed by Kenneth Leung and Ankita Rathi)