The US government seems poised to implement an unprecedented move, banning a social media app used by an estimated 170 million Americans each month. However, the consequences of this ban are questionable. Assuming the Supreme Court does not block the ban, what will TikTok users face? The law only prohibits the provision of updates, not the use of the app. While iPhone users need to jailbreak to update, Android users can manually install it. This seemingly bans TikTok, but actually leaves room for users to circumvent the ban. Meanwhile, other platforms like YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels are poised to fill the market gap, becoming substitutes for TikTok. Although the ban brings about many inconveniences, the extent of American society’s dependence on TikTok is evident. And all this is waiting for the final outcome.
