In merely a few days, the application that has influenced and characterized American digital culture for the past five years will become unavailable in the United States. TikTok, recognized as the second most downloaded app in the U.S. in 2024 with 170 million active users, is on course to cease operations due to a law enacted last year. This law mandates that TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, either divest the app to a U.S.-based entity or halt its functions in the nation.

Despite attempts to postpone the shutdown, the prospects of preserving TikTok for American users are swiftly diminishing. As users inundate their For You Pages (FYPs) with goodbye messages, a crucial inquiry emerges: how will this affect those of us beyond U.S. borders?

### The Global Perspective: Business as Usual?
From a technological viewpoint, users outside the U.S. will remain unaffected. TikTok will persist in its regular operations in other areas. Yet, the genuine upheaval may not be technological but rather cultural. For those who rely heavily on content created by American users, the app’s shutdown in the U.S. might signal a profound transformation. English-speaking users, in particular, will miss the American creativity and insights that have significantly influenced TikTok trends worldwide. As a content creator myself, I perceive this as a “mass extinction event” for Anglophone digital culture.

### A Dangerous Precedent
Chris Stokel-Walker, a journalist and author of *TikTok Boom: China’s Dynamite App and the Superpower Race for Social Media*, cautions that this ban establishes a concerning precedent. “Not only do we forfeit 170 million individuals using the app,” he remarks, “but it illustrates that the U.S. is deeply uneasy with any social media platform not led by Silicon Valley.”

The ban, instituted under the “Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act,” cites national security concerns. The U.S. Justice Department has referred to TikTok as representing “a national-security threat of immense depth and scale.” However, detractors contend that these assertions lack substantial proof. Stokel-Walker highlights that no conclusive evidence has been provided to back up the app’s purported dangers. Instead, many believe the ban stems from unease over a foreign app challenging American technology behemoths like Meta and Google. Both companies, poised to gain from TikTok’s downfall, are said to have invested millions lobbying for this legislation.

### The Cultural Fallout
For those who cherish a varied and decentralized social media atmosphere, this ban is a setback. It emphasizes the dominance of big tech and the potential for geopolitical frictions to hinder innovation. Yet, for average users, the immediate consequences will be cultural.

V Spehar, an American journalist and content creator known as @underthedesknews, underscores the loss of distinctive contributions from U.S.-based creators. “The American-based TikTok delivers a plethora of new music, trending sounds, and access to the American music library,” Spehar articulates. “You’ll forfeit American first-person reporting and news in the way you’re accustomed to.”

The ban is anticipated to affect other ByteDance applications, such as the widely used video editing app CapCut, which has been essential in empowering creators through its intuitive interface. Spehar points out that this will pose substantial obstacles for American users attempting to adapt to different platforms. “Even someone with millions of followers is used to that,” they state. “The reason this is so devastating is that users are losing all the editing functionalities they depend on. There’ll be a significant blackout since learning a new tool is such a steep curve.”

### The Impact on Creators
For content creators, the ban could greatly diminish engagement. Numerous creators depend on their American audience for views, partnerships, and income. London-based archaeologist Steph Black, who shares her projects on TikTok, speculates whether the ban might lead to fresh opportunities for non-U.S. creators. “I do wonder if U.S. brands will completely eliminate advertising on TikTok or if they will be more inclined to collaborate with non-U.S. creators,” she muses. However, she also recalls that TikTok features were often introduced in the U.S. prior to other regions, leaving creators elsewhere in limbo. “I’d like to see more chances for non-U.S. creators,” she adds.

For creators with a considerable American following, the ban poses a significant hurdle. Max Klymenko, whose TikTok audience is one-third American, expresses concern about losing access to this vital demographic. “The fact that I won’t be able to reach them on TikTok means we have to find each other on other platforms,” he observes. “It’s simple to suggest transitioning to other platforms, but modern social media doesn’t operate in that manner. It’s feed-based. The creators you favor appear on your feed, and those are the ones you watch.”

Klymenko foresees that platforms like YouTube Shorts