Does the Threat of a TikTok Ban Open Doors to Other Platforms?

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia has ordered a case set for this coming September to hear oral arguments regarding the legal challenges to a law that requires ByteDance (Beijing) to sell TikTok by Jan. 19, 2025, or face a ban in the United States, reports Reuters.

Emerging from the discussion of a potential ban in the U.S. are new platforms for retailers and brands to reach consumers.

In an exclusive interview with Women’s Wear Daily, Faisal Ahmed, Co-Founder and CEO of Orme – one of these new marketplace platforms backed by Xcel Brands Inc. – gives sound advice in case a ban on TikTok does happen in the U.S. “Brands should be hedging their bets and expanding their content and social media strategies across multiple platforms, including Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts,” he says.

The law in question was signed by President Joe Biden this past April 24, giving China-based ByteDance until Jan. 19 to sell TikTok. If they do not, they face a ban in the U.S., meaning app stores like Google and Apple will not be legally allowed to offer TikTok; it will also ban ISPs from supporting the app.