TikTok in the crosshairs: between prohibition, geopolitics and digital sovereignty

Since Donald Trump signed an executive order in 2020 to ban TikTok in the United States, the Chinese social network has become a flashpoint between Washington and Beijing. The accusation; that ByteDance, its parent company, could share U.S. user data with the Chinese government. What began as a national security measure ended up being the beginning of a digital war with geopolitical edges.

The Trump administration demanded the sale of TikTok's U.S. operations to companies like Oracle and Walmart. The operation was never completely closed, but the message was clear: the country would not tolerate a foreign app, especially a Chinese one, having massive access to its citizens' data. It was the first time an entertainment platform was treated as a threat to national security.

With Joe Biden in the White House, many expected a truce. But in 2024, Congress passed a law requiring ByteDance to sell TikTok within a year or face a total ban. The measure, with bipartisan support, showed that distrust of China is not just a Trumpist flag, but a state policy.

In 2025, Trump returned to power and took an unexpected turn: he extended the deadline for the sale of TikTok, opening the door to a negotiation that would allow an alliance with US capital without reaching a total ban. The move seeks to avoid a legal clash and maintain stability in a key sector such as the digital sector.

Beyond domestic politics, the TikTok case is today a symbol of the technological cold war between the US and China. For Washington, controlling this social network is part of a broader strategy; asserting their digital sovereignty, that is, deciding who controls the data, infrastructure, and content that circulates within their borders.

From Beijing, the pressure on TikTok is seen as a form of digital protectionism and a maneuver to slow the advance of its technology companies. China's response has been to redouble its commitment to technological autonomy and promote its own internet model, more controlled and less open to the outside.

The conflict has global repercussions. The possible ban on TikTok in the US could inspire other countries to take similar measures against foreign apps, accelerating the fragmentation of the internet and generating a digital world more divided by geopolitical blocs.

In the end, TikTok's fate in the U.S. no longer depends only on business or regulations. It's a battle over the internet model that will prevail for decades to come: one that is open and regulated by democratic values, or one marked by state surveillance and digital autarky. The decision made by Washington will not only affect an app, but will set the course for digital sovereignty in the world.

Referencias:

• Brookings Institution (2020). What does the TikTok saga reveal about China-US relations?

• Stanford Freeman-Spogli Institute (2021). TikTok and Geopolitical Tensions

• AINVEST News (2024). Geopolitical Influence on Tech Valuations: The TikTok Deal

• Wikipedia (2025). Restrictions on TikTok in the United States

• German Marshall Fund (2021). Experts React: TikTok’s Future in the U.S.

• Policy Review (2021). TikTok Ban in the United States: Necessary Precaution or Misstep?