TikTok: Talks of an impending ban push users to seek alternatives

TikTok has been the subject of much controversy of late for several reasons. With many cybersecurity experts pointing out the purported risks, ByteDance the company behind the app is doing everything to prove otherwise. It even previously proposed to move its global headquarters to London.

Additionally, it continues to assure the public that it never provides personal information to China even if the government demands. Unfortunately, it now faces the likelihood of being banned in the United States. As such, many of its users are reportedly migrating to other similar platforms.

The most recent development that involves the highly popular video-sharing social networking service is the proposed acquisition by Microsoft. Nevertheless, unless the terms specified by the TikTok and Microsoft deal do meet the expectations of U.S. President Donald Trump, it will likely fall through.

This turmoil is not only affecting the companies involved, but longtime users/creators are now considering moving their talents elsewhere. As pointed out by CNN, Frankie Lagana – a 22-year-old user – now sees YouTube as a potential alternative. "I've seen it work for so many people and friends of mine," he explained. "On TikTok, we've now had two threats of it being deleted. It's this fear in our hearts, of like 'This is my career.'"

Another notable creator, Tati Mitch, is now encouraging her millions of fans to view her content on Instagram, YouTube, and Triller. The latter is a new entertainment platform with social media and video-sharing elements much like the troubled app.

Mitch stated: "Right now, everyone is transferring over from TikTok to Triller." However, it seems there have been reports of bugs. If the ban is implemented, tech pundits believe it will be a boon for Google and Facebook. With the Reels feature from Instagram about to go live, it might potentially become a viable platform for TikTok creators.

Meanwhile, analysts highlight the risks people whose livelihoods are tied to social media and other similar platforms face. Therefore, given the dynamic pace of growth as well as the volatility of these services, diversity should be considered as a contingency plan. In a related news, the ongoing border tensions between India and China have also prompted the former to encourage its citizens to delete all apps with ties to Beijing.