TikTok’s situation this year has been a bit complicated in the United States. The previous administration signed a bill to ban its operations if ByteDance, the parent company of the short-video platform, did not sell it to American owners. Since then, the team behind TikTok has worked to avoid losing its American audience. One of TikTok’s moves was a new partnership with Amazon, which is now being questioned by US Congress.
Former President Joe Biden signed the bill to ban TikTok in April. This gave ByteDance nine months from the bill’s signing date to either appeal it or take any necessary steps to prevent its application. The company has already challenged the ban, and the app is still available in the US. In the meantime, ByteDance has taken measures to make things more difficult for the government’s intentions.
US Congress questions partnership between Amazon and TikTok for “dangerous and unwise“
In August of this year, TikTok and Amazon reached an agreement for greater integration between both platforms. The basis of the partnership is the “shoppable TikTok ads” feature that allow users to directly check out products from Amazon. These ads are tailored to the account’s usage profile and appear on TikTok’s “For You” page. If you link your Amazon account, you can make purchases on Amazon directly from these ads.
Amazon’s position as one of the leaders in e-commerce and among the biggest players in the technology industry puts the US government in an uncomfortable position. Such an agreement could greatly complicate the banning of the platform without affecting many Amazon users as well.
For this reason, according to Bloomberg, the committee expressed its concerns to Amazon regarding the agreement. The committee also questioned the partnership between one of the largest US companies and a platform facing a potential ban. “The Select Committee conveyed to Amazon that it is dangerous and unwise for Amazon to partner with TikTok given the serious national security threat the app poses,” a spokesperson said.
The new administration could change things for TikTok
It’s noteworthy that Amazon and TikTok have been working together on ads for a long time. However, this year they have further strengthened their ties through their new deal. Regardless, it’s plausible that the shift in the US administration will significantly change the situation. Experts suggest that Donald Trump will stop attempts to ban TikTok in the United States. Therefore, the situation for the most popular short video platform in the world could improve soon.
