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TikTok: What is it, how does it work and could the US ban it? Why does the US want to ban TikTok, and when could it happen?
(about 7 hours later)
The TikTok video app is hugely popular with young people around the world. US politicians are debating new legislation which would ban TikTok in the US unless its Chinese owners sell the company.
But for many years the Chinese-owned company has faced questions over the security of users' data, and its links to the government in Beijing. The video sharing app has millions of users around the world, but is facing questions over the security of users' data, and its links to the government in Beijing.
US politicians are debating legislation that would force TikTok's parent company to sell the app, but former US president Donald Trump has criticised the bill, despite previously supporting a ban. Who wants to ban TikTok in the US and why?
What is TikTok and how popular is it? Politicians from both major US parties have introduced a new bill which would ban TikTok unless owner ByteDance agrees to sell the app to a non-Chinese company.
TikTok is a short form video app that, like YouTube, allows people to post, share and comment on videos. The lawmakers fear that the Chinese government could use security laws to force ByteDance to hand over data about TikTok's 170 million US users.
These can range from three seconds to 10 minutes in length, and users can easily edit their clips using filters, stickers, music and visual effects. TikTok insists it would not provide foreign user data to the Chinese government.
It first shot to popularity as a destination for young people to take part in popular dance or lip-syncing trends and challenges. The US House of Representatives passed the bill on 13 March, with 352 voting in favour of the proposed law and 65 against.
Depending on their age and where they live, some users can live stream video content to their followers, as well as support their favourite creators with digital gifts or subscriptions. Democrat Raja Krishnamoorthi (l) and Republican Mike Gallager talk to reporters after the House of Representatives passed their bill
TikTok Shop, the platform's dedicated online store, allows users to buy products including those featured in creators' videos. It now moves to the Senate, where it is likely to face rigorous scrutiny. It is not clear whether a majority of senators will approve the bill.
Since early 2019, TikTok has frequently topped app download charts. US president Joe Biden says he will sign the bill into law if it is approved by the Senate.
It battled Instagram to be the world's most downloaded app throughout 2023, according to Sensor Tower, which monitors the performance of social media firms. This is the latest attempt by the American authorities to curb TikTok.
TikTok reached 150 million US monthly active users in March 2023. Former US President Donald Trump tried to ban the app when he was in the White House in 2020.
TikTok: The story of a social media giant But Mr Trump - now confirmed as the Republican candidate for the 2024 presidential election - has criticised the new legislation, arguing that limiting TikTok would unfairly benefit Facebook.
Who owns TikTok? TikTok answers three cyber-security fears about app
TikTok is owned by Chinese company ByteDance, which was founded in 2012. Are Chinese tech firms a security risk?
The Beijing-based firm is registered in the Cayman Islands, and has offices across Europe and the US. When would a TikTok ban happen if the bill becomes law?
It also owns video editing software CapCut, as well as various other apps that are only available in mainland China - including Douyin, a Chinese version of TikTok. The bill still has some way to go before it becomes law.
TikTok chief executive Shou Zi Chew studied at Harvard Business School and interned at social media giant Facebook But if it passes the Senate and is signed into law by President Biden, ByteDance would have six months to sell TikTok before any ban would take effect.
Singaporean entrepreneur Shou Zi Chew is the platform's chief executive officer, although some analysts believe ByteDance founder Zhang Yiming makes many key decisions. How would a TikTok ban work?
Who is TikTok chief Shou Zi Chew? The most straightforward way for the US to ban TikTok would be to remove it from app stores, such as those operated by Apple and Google for iOS and Android devices.
How does TikTok work? App stores are how most people download apps on to their smartphones and tablets, so the ban would stop new users from getting TikTok.
The bill also forbids "foreign adversary controlled applications" from being updated and maintained in the US.
That means people who already had the app would no longer be able to get future updates designed to improve security or fix bugs.
How a TikTok ban would - or wouldn't - work in practice
What has TikTok said it will do about the legislation?
TikTok has been highly critical of the legislation, accusing the US of "unjustly" behaving like a "bandit".
Chief executive Shou Zi Chew warned the bill would give "more power to a handful of other social media companies", and put thousands of American jobs at risk.
TikTok chief executive Shou Zi Chew studied at Harvard Business School and spent time at Facebook
ByteDance would have to seek approval from Chinese officials to sell TikTok, but Beijing has vowed to oppose such a move.
How have TikTok users in the US responded?
Some US creators and users have also criticised the proposed ban.
Tiffany Yu, a young disability advocate from Los Angeles, told the BBC at a protest outside the White House the platform was vital to her work.
Watch: How do young Americans feel about a ban on TikTok?
Watch: How do young Americans feel about a ban on TikTok?
TikTok asked its 170 million US users to contact their political representatives and ask them not to support the bill.
But the deluge of "confused" calls from TikTok users to congressmen and senators appears to have backfired.
Several politicians say the campaign has worsened the concerns they have about the app, and strengthened their resolve to pass the legislation.
What could a TikTok ban mean for creators?
How a US TikTok ban will affect Gen Z
Is TikTok be banned in other countries?
If the bill becomes US law, it could inspire similar moves elsewhere.
TikTok is already banned in India, which was one of the app's largest markets before it was outlawed in June 2020.
It is also blocked in Iran, Nepal, Afghanistan and Somalia.
The UK government and Parliament banned TikTok from staff work devices in 2023, as has the European Commission.
The BBC also advised staff to delete TikTok from corporate phones because of security fears.
How does TikTok work and how much user data does it collect?
At the heart of TikTok is its algorithm.At the heart of TikTok is its algorithm.
This is a set of instructions within the app which determines which content is presented to users, based on data about how they engaged with previous material.This is a set of instructions within the app which determines which content is presented to users, based on data about how they engaged with previous material.
Users are offered three main feeds on their app - Following, Friends and For You.Users are offered three main feeds on their app - Following, Friends and For You.
The Following and Friends feeds present users with content from people they have chosen to follow and who follow them back, but the For You feed is automatically generated by the app.The Following and Friends feeds present users with content from people they have chosen to follow and who follow them back, but the For You feed is automatically generated by the app.
This curated feed has become the main destination for users hungry for new content, and creators hungry for the millions of views TikTok videos can clock up if they go viral. This curated feed has become the main destination for users looking for new content, and creators hungry for the millions of views TikTok videos can clock up if they go viral.
Why is TikTok controversial? Critics say the app collects more data than other social media platforms in order to power its highly personalised system.
Politicians and regulators around the world are worried about TikTok's Chinese owners, despite concerted attempts to persuade them that the app is safe. This can include information about users' location, device, the content they engage with and keystroke rhythms they exhibit while typing.
Like many other social media apps, TikTok collects data from users, but it has faced additional scrutiny over how much it gathers and who can access it. But popular social media apps such as Facebook and Instagram collect similar data from users.
In particular critics fear that the information could fall into the hands of the Chinese government - something TikTok and ByteDance have strenuously denied could happen.
In late 2022 a UK journalist discovered she had been tracked via her cat's account.
And in 2023 a number of institutions - including the UK government and Parliament, the EU and the US White House - banned staff from using the app on work phones.
TikTok has repeatedly sought to distance itself from its Chinese owners, and has tried to reassure regulators with initiatives such as "Project Clover", which started storing European user data locally.
Are Chinese tech firms a security risk?
What is the TikTok bill and could the US ban TikTok?
US politicians from both major parties introduced a bill in March 2024 to tackle firms controlled "by a foreign adversary".
If successful, it would require ByteDance to sell TikTok within six months, or face a ban from US app stores and web hosting platforms.
On 13 March the bill was passed by the House of Representatives before heading to the Senate, where it is not yet clear which way members will vote.
President Joe Biden has said he will sign the bill into law if it passes in the Senate.
Mr Trump tried to force ByteDance to sell TikTok in 2020, but did not succeed
ByteDance would have to seek approval from Chinese officials to sell TikTok, but Beijing has vowed to oppose such a move.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin warned any ban would "come back to bite the US".
How do young Americans feel about a ban on TikTok?
'Confused' TikTokers deluge US lawmakers' phones
The bill follows previous efforts by American authorities to limit access to the app, citing national security risks.
Former US President Donald Trump unsuccessfully tried to ban the app when he was in the White House in 2020.
But Mr Trump - who is the Republican candidate for the 2024 presidential election - criticised the new bill, saying limiting TikTok would unfairly benefit Facebook.
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