TikTok Will Be Banned on Federal Devices: What to Know and How This Affects Your Marketing Strategy

TikTok is one of the most important platforms for digital marketers, but some officials are concerned about potential security risks. After much discussion, the United States has officially banned Tiktok on federal government devices

People can still enjoy the platform on their personal devices but not on federal devices. The fact that it will still be around is good news for digital marketers. But how will the fact that it is banned from federal devices affect your marketing strategy? Will TikTok still be a viable marketing platform? This guide will tell you everything you need to know.

Understand the Ban

The most important part of that ban is that it only applies to federal government devices. There will be a handful of exceptions, such as for government workers using the app for law enforcement or national security activities.

The ban was included in the $1.7 trillion spending bill that was recently passed.

It is also worth noting that many states have implemented similar bans on state-owned devices

Reasons for the Ban

The logic for the ban comes down to perceived security risks. Many people are concerned about the data collected by the Chinese-based app, especially given the United States’ tense relationship with China.

Former President Donald Trump had even issued an executive order banning U.S. companies from conducting business with ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok. This executive order was made in August 2020. But President Biden revoked it in June 2021 as long as the Committee on Foreign Investment did a security review and made suggestions.

ByteDance and TikTok Say There Is No Cause for Concern

Despite the ban and supporters of it, TikTok and ByteDance both say there are no concerns. ByteDance says it stores user data in Virginia with backups in Singapore. The company has also said that if there are legitimate security concerns, it will gladly work on them.

But those critical of TikTok point out that Chinese law requires ByteDance to share information with the Chinese government.

A Full Ban on TikTok Seems Highly Unlikely

Additionally, it seems highly unlikely that the United States will ban TikTok entirely. If that were to happen, it would obviously have a significant impact on your marketing. But many experts say that it is not just unlikely to be banned, but it may even be too big to ban.

Even national security experts feel that it would be very challenging to ban the app because of its far reach. To start, the platform has about 80 million monthly users in the United States. On top of that, TikTok is used in too many industries. It drives culinary, fashion, beauty, and music trends, just to name a few.

Simply put, TikTok is everywhere and used by people in every social group. Many politicians also used TikTok to campaign in the recent midterm elections. On top of that, numerous major companies and organizations, including the Associated Press, use the platform regularly.

A widespread ban of TikTok would affect important sectors of society. The government would be hesitant to take such an unfavorable action.

What It Means for You

The big question for influencers and any business using TikTok for digital marketingis how this will affect them. The good news here is that most devices can still have TikTok. This ban only applies to federal devices and not even all devices owned by federal employees. So, federal employees can still have TikTok on their personal phones, as long as they pay for the phone themselves and don’t use it for work.

The same is true of the states that have issued their own bans. It simply can’t be on government devices but can still be on personal devices.

Do You Need to Change Your TikTok Strategy?

There is one important caveat for marketers and advertisers. If your audience primarily comprises state or federal employees, then you will need to rethink your TikTok strategy. As mentioned, these people may still use TikTok on personal devices, but there will be a significant drop in their levels of activity. So, if that is your target audience, you may want to move some of your TikTok marketing budget to other platforms.

If You Are a State or Federal Employee

State-run tourism agencies are likely to see one of the biggest changes in this respect. As of this writing, various state tourism agencies have already closed their TikTok accounts in response to the ban in their states. These states include Texas, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Idaho, and Alabama.

Obviously, if you are a state or federal employee, you will also have to rethink your TikTok strategy. Consider reallocating your TikTok marketing budget to other aspects of your online marketing efforts, like Facebook or Instagram. You can also consider working with influencers on these social media platforms to boost your agency’s visibility and encourage tourism to your state.

Everyone Should Take a Multi-Channel Approach

The other major takeaway from this TikTok ban is that you should have a multi-channel approach. Tiktok is crucial for your digital marketing efforts, but you want to combine it with other platforms, such as Instagram.

That way, if more restrictions are placed on TikTok in the future, you will still have a solid social media marketing campaign in place. Ideally, you should have a multi-channel approach anyway, as this lets you reach your audience no matter where they are. It also protects you against potential algorithm changes.

The Bottom Line

The U.S. officially banned TikTok on federal devices, and many states have followed suit. This will reduce the number of devices that have TikTok, but state and federal employees can still use TikTok on their personal devices.

On top of that, this ban will only affect a small percentage of TikTok’s overall user base. For now, this ban shouldn’t affect your marketing strategy unless your key demographic is state or federal employees. However, it’s smart to make sure you have a multi-channel marketing strategy, as that can future-proof your strategy through ups and downs as well as algorithm changes.