TikTok was once one of India’s most popular apps, boasting a user base of 200 million and a thriving culture of creators and influencers. However, as per the reports of Leaders of Asia, the app was banned in India in June 2020 after a border skirmish with China, marking the end of a digital era for millions of Indian users. Although TikTok’s presence vanished overnight, the accounts and videos from its Indian users remain online, frozen in time, offering a glimpse of what might happen if the US were to follow suit.
In April 2024, President Joe Biden signed a bill that could result in a TikTok ban in the United States. The law requires ByteDance, the Chinese company that owns TikTok, to sell its stake in the app within nine months, or face a ban. However, ByteDance has expressed its intention to resist, and on December 6, a US federal appeals court rejected the company’s attempt to overturn the law. The platform is slated to become unavailable by January 29, though there is speculation the case may escalate to the US Supreme Court.
If TikTok is banned in the US, it would mark an unprecedented moment in American tech history. The situation mirrors what unfolded in India when the app was banned, with the loss of not only a popular platform but also a cultural phenomenon. India, in fact, was one of several countries to take action against TikTok, with Nepal and Pakistan also implementing bans or restrictions.
The Indian experience following the TikTok ban offers valuable insight. According to the sources of Leaders of Asia, once TikTok disappeared, Indian tech startups such as Chingari, Moj, and MX Taka Tak quickly emerged to fill the void. However, these apps couldn’t replicate TikTok’s massive success. Within months, platforms like Instagram and YouTube rolled out similar features, such as Reels and Shorts, respectively, quickly capturing TikTok’s audience. Despite their growth, these platforms never quite captured the same unique cultural feel that TikTok had in India, particularly in rural areas where users could gain fame through TikTok’s discovery algorithm.
For many creators, Instagram and YouTube offered a familiar home. Influencers like Geet, who had amassed millions of followers on TikTok, were able to rebuild their audiences on Instagram and YouTube. But even as users and influencers found success elsewhere, the distinctive sense of community that defined Indian TikTok was largely lost.
TikTok’s cultural significance in the US is similar to its influence in India. The platform has become a hub for niche communities, fostering unique content from users of all backgrounds. For many younger Americans, TikTok has even become a primary source of news. If TikTok were banned in the US, it could result in the same fragmentation of content that occurred in India, where new competitors emerged but failed to replicate the app’s cultural impact.
The US tech landscape has already been changing, with Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn adopting TikTok-inspired features. While these platforms have been successful in capturing TikTok’s short-form video traffic, they have not been able to recreate its hyper-local and niche content ecosystem. If TikTok is banned, this type of content could disappear, diminishing the variety of voices that have flourished on the platform.
Given the scale of TikTok’s influence, the cultural impact of a US ban would likely be far greater than India’s. TikTok’s presence in the US is significant, with 170 million users—roughly half the country’s population. As TikTok’s cultural revolution continues to grow, the potential fallout from a ban could be even more profound than in India.
The situation in the US is different from India in other ways as well. TikTok has vowed to fight the new law in court, which could delay any ban for years. While India’s ban was swift and immediate, a legal battle in the US could drag on for an extended period, and a US ban could also lead to significant diplomatic and trade tensions between the US and China. The outcome remains uncertain, but as TikTok’s fate hangs in the balance, it is clear that its potential loss would have far-reaching consequences on both the digital landscape and the broader cultural fabric of the countries involved.
