Time's up

History was made this Wednesday. The United States House of RepresentativesThe lower chamber of the United States congress. There are 435 representatives, with a certain number allocated to each state based on the state's population. has voted to ban the social media app - unless the company that owns it sells it off.

TikTok is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance. American lawmakers worry that the app is a threat to national security.¹ 

They argue that data gathered from its 170 million users could be used by the Chinese government to spy on Americans. They also think the app's algorithmsAny set of rules followed by a computer. In the context of social media, "the algorithm" refers to the intelligent AI that learns the interests of the user and presents them with posts that it thinks will interest them. could spread propagandaInformation, which may be biased or misleading, used to promote a certain viewpoint. by controlling what Americans see. TikTok deny these accusations.² 

The bill won by a landslide: 352 voted in favour to 65 against. It will now head to the SenateThe upper chamber of the Congress that - along with the US House of Representatives (lower chamber) - comprises the legislative branch of the US government. Each of the 50 US states is equally represented by two senators, regardless of its population size., who will debate and amend the bill. If it passes there, president Joe Biden will approve it.³ 

Even if the bill does not enter law, it represents a turning point. Today, social media looks like the most powerful force in the world. Apps like Instagram, Facebook and Twitter shape how people receive news, frame their lives and interact with the world. Tech CEOsChief Executive Officers. The highest-ranking person in a company. such as Mark ZuckerbergSince founding Facebook as a university student, Zuckerberg has become one of the top ten richest people in the world. and Elon MuskA South African-born entrepreneur whose companies have included the online payment service PayPal. He now controls Twitter, renamed 'X'. wield enormous power and influence.

This week, government struck back. The move against TikTok shows that law-makers are willing to kneecap social media when they feel it is a threat.

Security is the official reason for the ban. But there are also larger forces at work. The 1990s and 2000s were hailed as a triumph for globalisationThe growing interdependence of the world's economies, peoples and cultures.. Goods and labour would be traded across the world. Borders would become mere administrative matters.

But this era might now be at an end. Many countries are becoming more nationalistA person who believes strongly that their country is better than all others. . Fears about foreign interest are growing. This week, for instance, the UK government announced it would ban overseas countries from owning newspapers.

The public is divided on the ban. One New Yorker interviewed by The Daily Mail said  "I would be annoyed for about three days". But others worried about a loss of knowledge: "Anything I have a question about, I look it up on TikTok."

This is the nub of another concern about TikTok. It might spread fake news. According to CNN, "TikTok's search engine repeatedly delivers misinformation".

It could also affect our brain. One study found that TikTok users are more likely to have low attention spans, be easily distracted and unable to focus on tasks.

Others say the app has unleashed a torrent of creativity. Its format has seen millions of people experiment with film-making.

TikTokers have created quirky mini-documentaries, clever parodiesImitations of a situation or famous person, often intentionally exaggerated. of filmmakers and nightmarish "analog horror" shorts.⁴ Film critic Robbie Collin has even compared TikTok to the slapstick silent films of Buster KeatonAn American actor best known for his physical comedy in the silent film era. He is regarded as one of the greatest actors and directors of all time.: "The golden age of silent films is back."

And for some it has offered a livelihood. More than seven million American businesses market through TikTok. Researchers found it supported at least 224,000 American jobs. As artist Heather DiRocco says: "I could not replicate the money that I make on TikTok through any other platform". Banning TikTok will be banning a whole way of work.

Would you miss it?

Yes: TikTok offered something new to social media: a wave of brilliant short videos that allowed users to develop their creativity. If the app was banned we would lose something vital.

No: TikTok was born in 2016. Its lifespan is a mere drop in the ocean of human experience. Like MySpace, Vine and Snapchat, it will quickly be forgotten and replaced by something else.

Or... All signs point to the app's decline. Its membership has aged and flatlined. Early adopters have slammed its recent focus on sponsored products. TikTok might be abandoned before it is banned.