#TikTokban – Lab Platform Governance, Media and Technology (PGMT)

Can the US government really ban TikTok? Do they really want to do that? Unsurprisingly, many American academics have been following, writing about the recent developments, and have inspired this piece. Yet, there has been little input from European academics. This might be due to the fact that our relationship with TikTok feels very different right now. Last month, German chancellor Olaf Scholz joined TikTok and the marketing for the 2024 election for the European Parliament is going strong on the platform. The introduction of the Digital Service Act (DSA) has led to heavy regulation of “large online platforms,” including TikTok. However, a ban on TikTok in the US would have consequences that would reach beyond American borders. Therefore, even though this ban may not technically affect us, we will still experience its consequences in practice. In this blog post, I will summarize the events that led to the proposed TikTok ban in the United States, discuss the general issues that TikTok has been facing, explain the relevance of the First Amendment to these issues, and outline the potential consequences of this ban. I aim to cover events from a non-US perspective to fill gaps for readers less familiar with US jurisdictions.