The ongoing TikTok ban has been the subject of a lot of talk and controversy over the past few weeks, but its seeds have been planted for years now. The idea of making one of the world’s biggest social media platforms has driven a lot of discussion around freedom of expression, national security, data privacy, and so on. Given that TikTok has over 150 million users in the US, it’s safe to say that the ban has made some ripples. However, are there any chances that rather than a real effort to protect users, the ban was a calculated PR move?
The concern around TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, and its potential ties to the Chinese government have been expressed by several governments, including multiple US administrations. User data misuse and surveillance through the app have been major points of discussion before and leading up to the ban. Yet, as the ban itself unfolded, certain aspects of how it was handled and framed, both by the US government and TikTok itself, have seemed to only heighten the transparency and public perception of the platform.
The TikTok ban and how it has been handled publicly proves a fascinating case study from a marketer’s perspective, not entirely unlike other high-profile controversies that we’ve seen before. Looking at it provides lessons on establishing a narrative, utilizing influencers, public appeals, and user-generated content. Regardless of how calculated or organic it was, TikTok was successfully able to turn political backlash into a moment of solidarity with its user base.
Here, we’re going to take an in-depth look at the TikTok ban, the timeline of events, the marketing and PR implications, how it compares with similar high-profile controversies, and where we’re at now. Whatever conclusion you draw, it’s clear that this case is about much more than just data safety alone, so let’s dive in.
Timeline of the TikTon Ban
The events leading up to the ban have been a rollercoaster of dramas playing out in the political, corporate, and public spheres, across multiple US government administrations. A comprehensive timeline could fill at least one book, but let’s look at some of the major “phases” leading up to the ban.
The Trump Administration
The first rumblings of any real discontent took place towards the end of the Trump presidency, in 2020. The administration started commenting on the platform’s connection to ByteDance, and the potential access of user data by the Chinese government. On the 31st of July 2020, President Trump announced he planned to ban the platform as a security threat.
This was signed as an executive order by 6th August 2020, giving ByteDance 45 days to divest its US operations or be banned. The move was one of several that saw the US/China relations become more tense during the Trump presidency and resulted in immediate and major backlash against the ban from TikTok’s user base, tech companies, and free speech advocates, becoming a major cultural talking point.
Acquisition Discussions
In response, ByteDance starts looking at various buyers to sell its US operations to, including Microsoft, at first. As that deal fell through, Oracle and Walmart stepped up and made a public agreement to buy the platform in August 2020.
However, even as its potential death in the US market loomed, TikTok saw more downloads and user engagement than before, the first demonstration that the political scrutiny of the app ended up becoming free publicity. It also became the source of the first campaign by users to raise awareness and “save TikTok.”
Legal Challenges and Delays
TikTok also launched legal action, filing lawsuits to try to block the executive order. It succeeded in winning temporary injunctions, pushing the deadline of the ban back, while conversations were raised about whether the order was constitutional in the first place.
TikTok and the Trump administration were in a stalemate by the end of 2020. Before long, President Trump was out of office, and TikTok had a new administration to deal with.
The Biden Administration
Hopes that President Joe Biden would be less inclined to ban TikTok were quickly scuppered. While President Biden revoked Trump’s executive orders, he did launch further reviews into the foreign-owned apps and the question of who had access to the data they gathered. Instead, TikTok became the target of more regulatory scrutiny over its privacy and security concerns.
In March 2024, the House of Representatives passed the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, which solidified a ban on the operations of TikTok within the country unless ByteDance divested its operations. The law saw overwhelming bipartisan support. After being signed into law by President Biden, the ban went into effect on the 19th of January 2025.
The TikTok ban remains unresolved, although recent developments shift the conversation away from discussions of data security and surveillance, towards public relations and using the ban as a political football to gain support.
The Current Status of TikTok Ban
Two hours before the signing of the ban by Joe Biden, TikTok went dark in the US. The app was removed from stores across different platforms, and US users attempting to access it were greeted with the message “Sorry, TikTok isn’t available right now. A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now.”
However, throughout his recent presidential campaign, Donald Trump has begun to speak out against the ban, despite being one of the original voices to propose it. Although some have suggested the reverse in course to be a cynical attempt to court younger voters, many seem unaware that Trump was behind the ban originally, nor that the Republican Party was majorly in support of the ban when it was signed into law. Some have largely placed the blame for the bill at the feet of President Biden.
Since taking office, President Trump has been rapidly signing a series of executive orders. One of those granted TikTok a 75-day extension to comply with the recently signed law. It’s worth noting that the order does not overturn the previously passed law. However, publicly, President Trump has made remarks suggesting that he is open to finding other ways forward and that the order gives his administration time to “determine the appropriate course of action” in his own words.
One course of action that President Trump has floated is the idea of TikTok becoming a joint venture, as he told reporters that he may aim for a 50-5o partnership between ByteDance and the United States. However, it’s not clear how the US government would act as a part owner of the app.
Even before Trump’s executive order went into effect, TikTok was making public statements of a much more hopeful nature. While users still couldn’t access the app’s features, it replaced its original statement with “We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office. Please stay tuned!”
Now, TikTok is back online for its US users, with a third message saying “Thanks for your patience and support. As a result of President Trump’s efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S.!”
Currently, the law banning TikTok is still tentatively in effect, but with a new deadline and a new public strategy by both President Trump and the platform itself. This major shift in discourse has many beginning to consider the potential PR motives behind it.
The Marketing and PR Angles of the TikTok Ban
Aside from being a major geopolitical controversy and the latest stage for US/China tensions, the TikTok ban has also provided a fascinating look at modern marketing and public relations in the global market.
Whether the ban was in any way intended as a marketing move, it’s undeniable that it offered much greater visibility and engagement for TikTok, and even fostered brand loyalty for the platform.
The ban has also been used by governments and political figures as a positioning tool, amplifying their own messaging and setting the stage for their relationships with different demographics. Here, we’re going to look at how the ban has been handled from a PR and marketing perspective by both TikTok and others involved in the conversation.
How TikTok Has Handled The Ban
The announcement of the ban created an immediate frenzy amongst its users, especially younger users who had found online communities, established brands, and even made their careers on the platform. Seeing the immediate swell of support, TikTok leaned into the controversy, establishing a new level of connection with its audience in a few different ways:
- User Advocacy as PR Strategy: TikTok started leveraging its users immediately, encouraging them to share their thoughts on the ban and the importance of the platform to them. Campaigns like #SaveTikTok created thousands of organic ambassadors and created a whole new level of brand solidarity. Aside from humanizing the brand, it demonstrated the positive social proof of TikTok’s value.
- Positioning as the Underdog: Around 2020 and the advent of the ban, there was a lot of public scrutiny of TikTok’s potential connections to the Chinese government, but the brand’s response to the ban and its user-led campaign successfully turned it around. It positioned the brand as a victim of political grandstanding, and its users as the primary victims of the ban, while the platform itself stood as a defender of creativity and free expression.
- Proactive Advertising Campaigns: TikTok also invested in ad campaigns, making public commitments to privacy and security, in order to further combat any negative perception the public had of it. These ads also framed the platform as a supporter of small businesses and marginalised voices, showing that it was more than just a platform, it was a cultural force.
How The US Government Has Handled The Ban
Meanwhile, governments, and in particular the US government, have utilized the TikTok brand to establish their own messaging about national security. The topic has been used to address the question of which countries truly benefit from the ownership of social media platforms, though the government hasn’t always been popular in raising these points.
- The National Security Framing: Politicians argued that TikTok was a risk due to the potential of user data being shared with the Chinese government. Ongoing conversations around data security lent this narrative some plausibility, even though some would allege there has never been any concrete proof of this risk.
- How Voters Reacted: In 2024, Donald Trump won the presidential election. Some suggest that the ban ended up backfiring on the Biden administration, and the Democrats in general, who were held responsible for the ban by Gen Z voters, alienating them as a result.
- Mixed Messaging: The approach to TikTok has been inconsistent, ranging from outright bans to talks of acquisition. It can be suggested that this inconsistency allowed the app’s counternarrative to be much clearer, and as a result, a more effective message.
- The Ban As A Diversion: There is a suggestion that the TikTok ban has also been used as a public diversion, drawing public attention away from matters like the Biden administration’s policy towards the Israel/Palestine conflict. Some even suggest that US opposition to TikTok’s operations grew as support for Palestine grew on the platform.
TikTok’s Growth As A Result
Although the matter is far from resolved and TikTok could very well be banned once more in the coming months, the brand has managed to turn the crisis into one of its biggest PR wins. Here are a few ways it has benefitted:
- Increased Downloads and Engagement: In terms of sheer numbers, TikTok’s downloads have surged, with many users rushing to grab the app before it’s taken offline. Daily active users grew as a result and spiked even more as more users got involved in conversations and campaigns around the ban.
- Community Solidarity: The action against the platform ended up acting as a rallying cry for its many users. TikTok had long been something of a symbol for Gen Z, but once battle lines were drawn, the younger generations took it as a direct attack on their creativity and expression. This only cemented TikTok’s branding as an important part of modern cultural conversations.
- Leveraging Virality: Many would argue that the TikTok ban aimed to combat the threat of viral narrative. Narratives counter to the US government’s administration were widespread on the platform, but the groundswell of support for the app only served to act as a catalyst to this end.
- A Shift In Political Connections: TikTok is not the only platform that has been aligning itself with President Trump’s public. X/Twitter under Elon Musk’s ownership has directly campaigned for the President, and recent moves from Facebook/Meta may signal a shifting alignment towards more populist conservative sympathies. Whether a genuine response to shifting political interest, an attempt to curry favour and influence with the incoming administration, or otherwise remains to be seen.
The TikTok Ban: A Political Win For President Trump?
Having only just taken office, it’s hard to see how, exactly, Trump’s administration will handle the situation. The Republic Party has vocally been in support of the ban but has also historically shown very little resistance to Trump’s sway. However, there are some who would say that the U-turn on the ban has done more for the new President’s brand than TikTok’s.
- Reframing The Narrative: Although there are dissenters keen to point out that the TikTok ban originated with Trump’s increasingly hostile rhetoric against China, both TikTok and many of its Gen Z users have expressed gratitude to the President for “saving” the app, suggesting that his role in its genesis is being pushed to the margins.
- Winning Gen Z: Many have suggested that Trump’s sudden turnaround on TikTok has been a concentrated effort to win over younger voters to cement his election campaign and to ensure ongoing support for his administration.
- Championing Free Speech: The TikTok ban has largely been framed as a battle between freedom of expression vs. censorship. This has already been a topic that President Trump has publicly taken a side in, which may have made it easier for him to switch allegiances regarding the ban.
What Lessons Can Marketers Learn From The TikTok Ban?
Whether or not the ban was set up as a PR manoeuvre by any of the bodies involved, marketers can learn plenty of lessons from how all parties have handled it. Here are some of the key takeaways:
Turn Crisis Into Opportunity
TikTok took a proactive response towards the ban, showing how brands can stand up in the face of adversity, rather than backing down or immediately apologising. By engaging their users directly, and addressing their concerns transparently, TikTok was able to turn a serious controversy into a branding win.
Control The Narrative
TikTok did not allow the US Government or public figures to establish their narrative without any pushback. Instead of letting the conversation be dominated by concerns about data privacy and government ownership, they managed to frame themselves as champions of creativity and supporters of a vibrant and important cultural community.
Leverage Community Power
The waves created by TikTok’s response to the ban were not created alone. They were able to mobilise and utilise their user base, creating a groundswell of support that not only helped to cement the narrative that they wanted but also increased direct engagement with their product at the same time.
Don’t Be Afraid Of A Pivot
President Trump’s own actions regarding the ban have shown that the public memory is short. Given enough public support, brands are able to adjust their positions and act counter to previous actions without as much scrutiny as they might expect.
Tie Your Fight To Broader Movements
All parties involved, including the Biden Administration, TikTok, and President Trump, have tied the ban to broader narratives beyond what is directly concerned. As a result, they have been able to tap into existing public sentiments, more quickly winning audiences to their side.
The TikTok ban, despite being a serious threat to the platform’s operations, became a moment of opportunity for TikTok. By embracing that conflict, engaging its users, and controlling the narrative, TikTok pulled off a masterclass in PR.
Historical Precedents For National Policies As PR Stunts
India’s Ban On Chinese Apps
In June 2020, as border tensions between India and China rose, the Indian government launched a ban on over 50 Chinese apps, including TikTok. This ban had many of the hallmarks of the US ban, framing it as a national security concern.
However, the ban also served to heighten Indian nationalism, allowing the government to position itself as the defender of its people much more successfully, and some argue it also created space for Indian tech companies to grow without direct competition.
The Huawei Controversy
Chinese telecom company, Huawei, has been under similar scrutiny from the US and European governments as TikTok, with accusations of potential espionage for the Chinese government through its 5G infrastructure.
It has been noted that this scrutiny has arisen as European competition has arisen in the 5G space from companies like Ericsson and Nokia.
Facebook’s Data Privacy Scandals
Following the Cambridge Analytica scandal, in which Facebook was seen to be partially responsible for potential voter manipulation, Facebook underwent intense scrutiny of its data privacy scandals.
The public appearance and questioning of Facebook’s founder, Mark Zuckerberg, was seen as a personal branding launch to humanize him in the public eye, while Facebook was able to use the scandal to launch PR campaigns around its commitment to protecting user data.
The Bud Light and Dylan Mulvaney Controversy
Bud Light partnered with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney in a marketing campaign aiming to promote inclusivity. However, the campaign sparked backlash as many public and political figures lashed on to encourage boycotts.
The backlash ended up dropping sales for the company, signalling the potential dangers of using divisive topics in public campaigns, and perhaps also signalling a certain audience’s shift, as conservative audiences grow more reactionary.
So, Was It All A PR Stunt?
It’s difficult to say how much of the TikTok ban and the various party’s involvement in it was a calculated PR move. However, it’s undeniable that it has since been used as a marketing strategy by the platform itself, by President Trump, and by several public and political figures commentating on it.
How TikTok handled the ban demonstrates a masterclass in public relations, blurring the lines between genuine concerns and political grandstanding. Whether it was fully calculated or not, the saga highlights how powerful political controversy can be when leveraged well. In the end, TikTok emerged stronger, proving that even adversity can be a tool for growth.
