What A Tiktok ban means for smaller U.S. social apps on the rise

It’s no secret that the Whitehouse’s reversal on a possible Tiktok ban sent ripples throughout the Tiktok community. The bloodcurdling screams from
Gen Z-ers, influencers, and those who believe that the government is trying to turn out the lights for political reasons or corporate greed could be heard ’round the world.  And so could the distaste for the behemoth companies who stand to benefit from such a ban, such as Meta, Google, and Snapchat. Cries of cahoots couldn’t have been louder.

A “them” and “us” dynamic has definitely revealed itself as a result of this decision, with “them” being the government and Big Tech and “us” being the people. Does it matter that the vehicle to break the camel’s back is purportedly a CCP-owned entity jeopardizing the health, welfare, and safety of every American?  Obviously not, for many.  There is raging disbelief, distrust, and disgust of the landscape at home which has people trading one caution for another.  

Personally, I believe that Tiktok should be banned if it is truly owned by the CCP as safety always comes first in my opinion, even before concerns over censorship.  But I can understand the suspicion and confusion this decision conjures when the CCP has their fingerprints all over our border crisis, farmland acquisitions, college and university failings, and the bromance between
Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin…with plenty more evidence to speak.  Is the harm arising from any of these different in magnitude to that which Tiktok offers?  Will we be reversing all of it?  I doubt it, making government and Big Tech look even worse in the possible banning of Tiktok.

What ultimately happens remains to be seen.  What doesn’t, however, is the opportunity this reversal holds for U.S.-based, smaller social apps similar in nature to Tiktok. For them, like my own ZNEEX app which invites people to sign-up to make new friends and socialize by way of walking, President Biden just threw a touchdown fueled by the impending fear that Tiktok might just disappear tomorrow. 

Within minutes of the news, I personally began working on a promotion to stroll Tiktokers over to my ZNEEX app with the offer of a free premium membership, while making sure that they realized that we were both a U.S.-based social app and company.  My nimbleness gave me the ability to fully launch that promotion within twelve hours time from the initial Whitehouse announcement but even before that, my teaser had Tiktok users signing up and sharing the news. As we’ve seen, fear, anxiety, anger, and panic are forceful motivators.  

A capitalist by nature, why wouldn’t I take advantage of such a gift from the U.S. government?  Provided I truly believe that what I have to offer is beneficial to people who use my app, and I do, I would be foolish not to embrace the moment.  And plenty of other U.S.-based companies with something to gain by reading the room as I did undoubtedly did the same thing.

As a nation in flux, flux can easily be transformed into momentum when preparedness meets opportunity.  Last week was one of those unique moments and even though I hadn’t expected it, letting this whole new circumstance go by without grabbing hold simply isn’t the American way. “Timing” is everything always, but especially as a small business looking to grow.  I didn’t start the fire but offered a solution to those running from it….absolutely! 

Agree/Disagree with the author(s)? Let them know in the comments below and be heard by 10’s of thousands of CDN readers each day!