Late Saturday, TikTok cut off access to its users in the United States just before a national ban on the app was set to begin, leaving President-elect Donald Trump unable to intervene until he takes office.
“A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the US. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now,” said a message to users attempting to use the app
Following months of legal battles, the US Supreme Court on Friday upheld a law that seeks to prohibit the widely-used video-sharing platform for national security reasons, unless its Chinese owners reach a deal to sale it to non-Chinese buyers by Sunday.
From youthful performers to grandmothers exchanging culinary advice, TikTok has been welcomed for its capacity to turn everyday individuals into international stars when a video gains popularity.
It also has a supporter in Trump, who has acknowledged the app for linking him to younger voters, aiding in his election win in November.
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What is TikTok?
TikTok is a social media platform meant for producing, editing, and sharing brief videos ranging from 15 seconds to three minutes long.
TikTok offers music and sound effects along with filters and special effects that users can incorporate into their videos. Users can also choose to upload videos from their personal devices to TikTok. TikTok can be accessed by individuals in the majority of countries globally.
China has its own version named Douyin, which offers similar core features but contains content catering to the interests of the Chinese audience.
Short videos first gained fame in 2013 through Vine, an application that enabled users to produce and share clips lasting only six seconds. The following year witnessed the launch of Musical.ly, a Chinese social media site enabling longer videos (ranging from 15 seconds to one minute).
Why India banned TikTok in 2020?
On June 29, 2020, the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi suddenly banned TikTok and 58 additional Chinese-owned applications, referencing data security issues.
The Indian government charged TikTok, which is owned by the Chinese tech company ByteDance, with data misuse and serving as a means for espionage. The choice was made only two weeks following a fatal clash between Chinese and Indian soldiers at the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
India’s TikTok ban came during the deterioration of relations with China after the Galwan Valley conflict. On June 15 of that year, Indian and Chinese forces engaged in conflict in the Galwan Valley of Ladakh, resulting in the fatalities of at least 20 Indian troops.
The confrontation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) marked the deadliest incident in 45 years, leading to a military impasse.
