TikTok and its dispute with the United States: the tense technology battle that will continue in 2025

2024 is ending and one of the social networks that has focused the most attention this year is TikTokboth due to its popularity, the accusations it has been accumulating and the geopolitical conflict to which it has led the two main world powers: USA y China.

And if it is about controversies, one of the most important is going on in the American country, where the social network is accused of sharing information about its users with the Chinese government, which is considered a risk to national security. .

After the debate in the Congress of USAa law was passed that requires ByteDance (owner of TikTok) that complies with the sale of the social network before January 19.

China’s claim was immediate. As reported by the EFE agency, the spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Wang Wenbin, indicated that using national security as a pretext to “oppress successful foreign companies” is an “act of injustice” that “lacks fairness.”

Despite everything, it was in April that President Joe Biden signed the approved law.

In the following months, the response of TikTok It has been through legal means, and the person who has had notoriety is Shou Zi Chew, CEO of TikTok. It has filed various appeals to prevent the sale, and the most important is the appeal presented to the Supreme Court of USA.

According to the AFP news agency, the highest American judicial body scheduled arguments in the case for January 10. However, the Court did not suspend the entry into force of the law.

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In addition to denying the spying accusations, TikTok has maintained that the proposed law violates its free speech rights protected by the First Amendment.

“We believe that the Court will consider the ban on TikTok unconstitutional so that the more than 170 million Americans on our platform can continue to exercise their freedom of expression rights,” the company has indicated.

Restrictions on TikTok

But the conflict with the United States has not been the only thing. The European Union has also targeted the Chinese social network, especially its paid version called TikTok Lite, due to the risks of generating addictive behavior in minors.

It is a “Rewards Program”, reported the AFP news agency, through points awarded to users who complete tasks such as watching complete videos, expressing “likes”, following content creators and inviting their contacts to join the platform.

This program was suspended, but the accusations against the social network about addictive content have not stopped in 2024.

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It was in October that fourteen states of EU filed lawsuits against the TikTok platform, which they accuse of trapping young users with addictive features, then harming their minds and violating their privacy.

“Our research revealed that TikTok cultivates social media addiction to increase profits,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a press release. He added that “TikTok intentionally targets children because it knows that children do not yet have the defenses or ability to enforce healthy boundaries.”

But the scandals of TikTok They have also jumped in other countries. Canada proposed restrictive measures against the social network of Chinese origin, in November, after announcing the closure of the operations of the Canadian subsidiary of TikTok due to a security review.

This is a more radical measure. Already in 2023, Canada had banned TikTok on all government devices and launched a security review of the app.

Romania is also another area of ​​scandal for TikTok. The European Union announced an investigation following accusations that Russia used this social network to influence the outcome of the presidential elections. “We must protect our democracies from any kind of foreign interference,” said commission president Ursula von der Leyen. The electoral process in Romania was annulled.

Shou Zi Chew en Perú

The activity of TikTok It was also reflected in our country. It was during the days of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum Apec 2024, in Lima, when CEO Shou Zi Chew arrived in our country to give a keynote talk to the hundreds of businessmen who gathered.

The 40-year-old technological innovator highlighted the firm commitment of TikTok with platform security, the importance of fostering authentic human connections and the company’s fundamental role in driving growth and socioeconomic impact.

But one of the most striking moments occurred when the work of the Peruvian TikToker Paola Gallegos was highlighted. She, along with two other international content creators, was congratulated by Shou Zi Chew and shared a gala dinner.

The 28-year-old girl from Cusco told The Commerce that Zi Chew seemed like a very confident person to talk to. “Something that stands out is her simplicity, her humility and her ability to be able to converse like a normal person despite all the achievements she has had,” said the content creator.

During the business forum, Zi Chew assured that “TikTok is defined by creativity and freedom of expression,” and that they seek to provide a “safe and authentic environment.” Even so, the continuity of the social network could be cut short in January 2025.