That 2020 government order got here to nothing ultimately—it was blocked within the courts, put apart after the presidency modified arms, and ultimately withdrawn by the Biden administration. But the concept—that the US authorities ought to ban TikTok not directly—by no means went away. It might repeatedly be instructed in numerous types and shapes. And ultimately, on April 24, 2024, issues got here full circle.

So much has modified within the 4 years between these two information cycles. Again then, TikTok was a rising sensation that many individuals didn’t perceive; now, it’s one of many greatest social media platforms, the originator of a generation-defining content material medium, and a music-industry juggernaut. 

What has additionally modified is my outlook on the difficulty. For a very long time, I believed TikTok would discover a means out of the political tensions, however I’m more and more pessimistic about its future. And I’ve even much less hope for different Chinese language tech firms attempting to go international. If the TikTok saga tells us something, it’s that their Chinese language roots will likely be scrutinized without end, it doesn’t matter what they do.

I don’t consider TikTok has grow to be a bigger safety risk now than it was in 2020. There have at all times been points with the app, like potential operational affect by the Chinese language authorities, the black-box algorithms that produce unpredictable outcomes, and the truth that dad or mum firm ByteDance by no means managed to separate the US aspect and the China aspect cleanly, regardless of efforts (one known as Challenge Texas) to retailer and course of American information domestically. 

However none of these issues received worse during the last 4 years. And curiously, whereas discussions in 2020 nonetheless revolved round potential treatments like establishing information facilities within the US to retailer American information or having a corporation like Oracle audit operations, these sorts of fixes will not be within the legislation handed this 12 months. So long as it nonetheless has Chinese language house owners, the app isn’t permissible within the US. The one factor it might do to outlive right here is switch possession to a US entity. 

That’s the chilly, onerous fact not just for TikTok however for different Chinese language firms too. In right now’s political local weather, any affiliation with China and the Chinese language authorities is seen as unacceptable. It’s a far cry from the 2010s, when Chinese language firms might dream about creating a killer app and discovering audiences and traders across the globe—one thing many did pull off. 

There’s one thing I wrote 4 years in the past that also rings true right now: TikTok is the bellwether for Chinese language firms attempting to go international. 

Nearly all of Chinese language tech giants, like Alibaba, Tencent, and Baidu, function primarily inside China’s borders. TikTok was the primary to achieve mass recognition in numerous different international locations the world over and grow to be a part of every day life for individuals outdoors China. To many Chinese language startups, it confirmed that the onerous work of attempting to study international international locations and customers can ultimately repay, and it’s well worth the time and funding to attempt.