The U.S. government is moving closer to implementing a TikTok ban, which would have far-reaching consequences beyond just TikTok itself. The House recently passed an updated version of the ban with bipartisan support, and President Biden has indicated that he would sign it into law. This move would effectively ban TikTok in the U.S. unless its parent company, ByteDance, sells the platform.
However, the implications of this ban go beyond TikTok users. The wording of the bill opens the door for the U.S. to potentially ban other foreign-based apps or platforms as well. The bill specifically targets “foreign adversary controlled applications” and includes apps operated by subsidiaries or affiliates of these foreign adversaries. While the language of the bill is broad and could impact a range of companies and apps, TikTok and ByteDance are the only parties explicitly mentioned.
Even though ByteDance is best known for TikTok, the company has launched several other platforms and applications that have gained popularity in their target markets. For example, CapCut is a widely used video editing app that has been instrumental in creating viral videos on TikTok and beyond. However, since CapCut is owned by ByteDance, it could face a ban if TikTok is banned. The same goes for Hypic, ByteDance’s photo editing app.
Lark, another platform developed by ByteDance, is a productivity suite of apps for businesses that offers documents, chats, messaging, and more. It serves as ByteDance’s version of Google Workspace and is even used internally by the company. However, under the TikTok ban bill, Lark could also be banned.
In addition to its social video platform, ByteDance operates Lemon8, a social media platform similar to Pinterest that has gained popularity among the lifestyle and wellness community. Out of all of ByteDance’s apps, Lemon8 is the closest in nature to TikTok, which increases the likelihood of it being barred in the U.S. Other ByteDance apps available in the U.S., such as Gauth, an “AI study companion” app, and SoundOn, a music distribution and royalty platform for artists, could also face prohibition.
If the TikTok ban bill becomes law, the next steps are unclear. ByteDance would be required to divest from TikTok and sell the company within a year. However, reports suggest that TikTok is preparing for a legal battle to contest the law if it passes. This means it could be a while before ByteDance is forced to sell the app, if it comes to that.
