TikTok and Policy: Losing Community

In the United States, a recent bill passed in the House of Representatives that gives TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, a choice — sell TikTok or risk it being banned. While we’re not sure of the bill’s competitive power to pass in the Senate, one thing remains true: policy will continue to impact communication professionals’ ability to build community for their audiences.

Social Media’s Power

Social media has given us the ability to connect with almost anyone anywhere. It’s brought us closer together, and at times much farther apart. It’s been attributed to increased polarization in American politics, misinformation and more. But for communication professionals, social media can build community.

Community building is a delicate process and a tough one to perfect. Developing engaging content that brings folks together takes time and effort. However, social media has enabled us to reach diverse target audiences, whether it be to provide services as a government agency, help clients as a nonprofit or sell services as a business. When community building is at its best, it brings together a network of stakeholders who have the power to act based on the content put out by an organization.

TikTok’s Role

To say TikTok has been a powerhouse on social for many brands is an understatement. Take Duolingo, a language-learning mobile app that has cultivated upwards of 8 million followers through a memorable and distinct brand voice. What Duolingo did best was understand the need to create memorable experiences. TikTok’s short-form, highly viral video content enabled them to do so. 

These experiences, whether it be the angry bird reminding someone to learn Dutch or the silly green mascot running across a user’s screen, built community. A community of people who share similar, fun experiences on the app. Without TikTok, it would have been far more difficult to create these engaging experiences across such a massive, viral crowd, often seen by hundreds or tens of millions. 

Privacy Risks

With social media comes the power to curate memorable experiences that call audiences to action. However, the ability to do this is not without risk. 

Every social media platform has been associated with data privacy risks (among other risks) throughout its existence. 

Most recently, TikTok has come under fire for privacy concerns, including:

• Employees spying on users through their personal data.
• Harvesting phone numbers to recommend followers on the app, even without user consent.
• Allegations from the U.S. intelligence community that TikTok censored controversial topics that went against Chinese State narratives, such as discussions of Tiananmen Square in 2020.

These risks present major policy concerns to those legislating on these topics at state and federal levels in the U.S. 

Other social media apps have continuously been involved in data privacy and misinformation concerns. This includes the 2020 Presidential Election misinformation campaign on Facebook where accounts spread disinformation and misinformation relating to COVID, election security and other topics allegedly backed by Russia. 

These concerns and the increasing risk of growing regulation in the U.S. showcase the struggle of communicators to build community through social media against a backdrop of policy battles. 

Adapting to Policy

To effectively distribute necessary information to consumers, clients or stakeholders, communicators must be more flexible when platforms or tools face regulation or potential bans, such as in the case of TikTok. Relying solely on one platform increases the risk of losing effectiveness in building a strong online community of supporters. Just as fast as that following and engagement are built, they can be dismantled by a single legislator voting yes. 

To adapt to evolving policy situations that arise, communicators can implement several measures to maintain engagement across diverse platforms. First, monitoring policy happenings is always crucial. The communications landscape is governed by an array of regulations, from legal mandates to ethical guidelines set by organizations like IABC. Communicators can and should also distribute content across multiple channels, ensuring audiences with various avenues to interact with the brand. 

Moving On

In a situation where TikTok were to be banned — a platform that has built communities for people across the world, from brands to influencers, media outlets, nonprofit organizations and everyday individuals — those in the communications space would face challenges. While addressing privacy concerns is vital for safeguarding user data and other information, such bans can create hurdles for communicators who use this platform to create memorable experiences and engage with their audience effectively.

A loss of community can be difficult, especially for those who built it. Moving on will require behavior change from the audiences that have cultivated who they follow, to the communities they’re a part of and the brands and creators who have fostered these communities. As regulation increases, we may see more online communities lost or forced to adapt. The adaptation side will test the brands and organizations that can effectively change lanes in the world of policy and communications. Those that can’t, unfortunately, may be left behind. 

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