The recent ban on TikTok in America took effect on January 19, 2025. The ban lasted for just under a day before being lifted, being followed by a statement announcing a 75-day extension of TikTok usage for U.S. citizens. The government will use this period to decide whether to impose a permanent ban or allow indefinite access to the app. If a ban is imposed in the future, it would prevent users in the U.S. from downloading, updating, and ultimately using the app entirely, leading to the end of the usage of TikTok in the U.S. for the foreseeable future.

Winners and Losers of the U.S. TikTok Ban

Losers: People Who Use TikTok as a Source of Income

If the ban on TikTok were to occur, it would impact many individuals who rely on the platform as their main source of income, leading to socioeconomic challenges. The American market has approximately 170 million TikTok users and is one of the app's largest revenue sources. Subsequently, young adults or teens who are seeking to use TikTok as a way to start their career will have to shift their focus to starting their careers elsewhere, potentially into offline situations or alternative online methods. 

Winners: Health benefits of TikTok Users

“TikTok users in America spend an average of a whopping 95 minutes per day on the platform” (Doyle, 2024). The TikTok ban will cause users to reduce their screen time, as the entertainment landscape will have changed for them. The reduced screen time of American citizens will see improved health and well-being of citizens alike. Users can develop new active hobbies, spend more time with friends and family, and experience the outside world, which will break screen addictions.

Losers: TikTok Content Creators

Content creators who are based in the U.S. and whose sole source of revenue is TikTok would have to shift their content to a different social media platform. The shift demands restructuring their approach, perhaps changing the form of their content from short-form to long-form. The American market’s significance draws a major setback for content creators. 

Winners: Other Social Media Platforms (Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, etc)

Conversely, many formal TikTok users will be looking to migrate to different social media platforms that they can use to substitute their use of TikTok. Platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, Netflix, and YouTube will heavily benefit from this ban, with an increase in their user pool and the possibility of signing up for subscriptions on these platforms, causing higher revenue for these companies.

Losers: ByteDance

Bytedance,  TikTok’s parent company, would experience a revenue loss due to reduced advertising opportunities as U.S. companies would no longer target their ads to American users.  Without access to this platform, they risk losing valuable visibility and engagement. 

Conclusion:

The general public reaction to the ban is mostly negative, with many expressing concerns regarding entertainment deprivation and economic impacts. Users are actively seeking solutions to bypass the ban, including the use of VPNs. As most VPNs are a paid subscription service, VPN companies will benefit from this ban, as many will flee to VPNs as a desperate attempt to use TikTok to pay for their services, and these companies will gain higher revenue as a result of the ban.

In conclusion, the potential losses that the U.S. TikTok ban will bring not only to individuals but also to huge corporations will affect the economy.  The disruption would affect the livelihoods of many U.S. citizens.  As such, the TikTok ban represents a significant issue with far-reaching consequences for countless individuals and businesses.

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