TikTok in ‘increasingly desperate’ situation

TikTok has asked a federal appeals court to bar the Biden administration from enforcing a law that could lead to a ban of the app until the Supreme Court reviews the case.

Sarah Kreps, professor of government and law and director of the Tech Policy Institute at Cornell University, says we are one step closer to a world where TikTok will no longer be available on app stores.

Kreps says: “TikTok is in an increasingly desperate situation. There's a reason the law stipulated that the ban would take effect the day before the new administration is inaugurated and a new Congress begins. No one wanted to re-litigate this with a new set of political actors, but TikTok thinks that's its best hope.

“There's a chance the Supreme Court would take this up in its so-called Shadow Docket that is designed for these sorts of time-sensitive cases, but TikTok might fear that a cursory review and unanimous lower court would not bode well for the company's future in the United States.

“Now we are one step closer to a world where TikTok will no longer be available on app stores. That means no new users and no updates, which means the app will become clunkier, slower, and lose one of its main virtues – its user-friendliness. 

“Anecdotally, it appears that users have been hedging against this possibility over the last few months, a move that will accelerate now, as they try to amass followers on other platforms like Instagram. There's both a strong demand for, and supply of, content creators so they will find a marketplace. It is looking less likely that it will be on TikTok.”

For interviews contact Becka Bowyer, cell (607) 220-4185, rpb224@cornell.edu.