• SocialChain
• 15 January 2025
• 2 min

The TikTok US ban: everything you need to know

TikTok’s impending US ban poses a major challenge for US brands who’ve been banking on the platform. But the economic and cultural impact for brands everywhere will be seismic if the ban goes ahead.

The story 

• The US government is pressuring TikTok’s Chinese owner ByteDance to sell the app or face a ban by 19 January 2025 due to national security concerns over potential Chinese government access to American users’ data.  
• A federal court upheld this law, but TikTok appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing the ban is unjustified and harms free speech.  
• The Supreme Court heard TikTok’s arguments on 10 January but haven’t overruled the ban yet. If they do, this is expected to come in the next few days.  
• As it stands, TikTok is set to go dark in the US on 19 January, but Donald Trump could intervene once he comes into office on 20 January. He has suggested negotiating a deal to let TikTok continue operating in the US. 

What this means for you 

The app’s future depends on legal decisions and the incoming administration’s actions. And while both of those factors are out of your control right now, it’s important to be prepared for every scenario. As for your social strategy, that needs to be firing on all cylinders.  

So we’ve put together a guide for brands, explaining everything they need to know, which strategic priorities they should focus on, and the short- and long-term impacts in the event of a US-wide TikTok ban.  

Download our free fact sheet now and find out: 

• What will happen if TikTok is banned in the US, in both the short-term and the long-term 
• Your biggest questions answered, including where to reallocate ad budgets, the importance of emerging platforms like RedNote, and how to pivot your creator partnerships  
• Our top five changes to make to your social strategy right now to stay one step ahead of the game