TRAVERSE 103
social left while Instagram is the commercial / consumer right and there lies the problem as it goes against what many believe . In fact , in India , since the banning of TikTok , over one hundred more Chinese apps have been banned , a move that had been seen as political .
The direct result of the Indian TikTok ban was US based tech companies attempting to fill the void . It ’ s believed that the moves in India caused Facebook to introduce ‘ shorts ’ and Instagram something similar with ‘ reels ’. For many this was enough however , social commentators in India imply that when TikTok went so did a new subcultural of the Indian way of life . Amazingly , some even suggested it was a “ form of genocide ”.
It ' s believed a similar occurrence will take place in countries like the United States and Australia should TikTok be banned , and like India , localised content will vanish and with it a level of cultural significance . Suggestions have been made that the fallout for Western countries will be much greater than India as TikTok has grown significantly since 2020 , almost a third of all under thirty-year-olds in the United States use TikTok to get their news . The West banning TikTok could also spark a trade war , with China retaliating commercially .
Of course there are ways users are finding to circumvent the bans . Indians are able to access their accounts when outside of the country , something that is taking place in Nepal .
TikTok users , especially the young , of Nepal have found ways to continue the use of the platforms by way of VPN , you know that thing you use to trick the internet into thinking you are somewhere else . It ’ s legitimate and it works for many Nepali TikTok users .
While organisations like the Asia Internet Coalition ( AIC ) have voiced concern for the bans , canvassing government representatives with language such that they hint that many Nepali businesses will fail due to the prohibitive nature of cancelling social media , others have asked the government to reconsider such enforcement and to work with tech companies as a way to make social media safer .
It seems unlikely that this will take place , from both a willingness of the social media parent companies and also
TRAVERSE 103