TikTok has entered our lives like any other social network, and it has redefined the way our young people share and consume content. Short and entertaining videos, gossip, cooking recipes, and lots of dancing, it has become one of the most popular platforms in the world, however, January 19 in the United States was a before and after: the use of TikTok had been banned throughout the country. We are going to tell you why.

What was happening?

TikTok was facing a possible closure due to issues about national security and data privacy. Being a Chinese company, the government feared that user information could be shared and used to misinform the American population and influence their opinions.

At the same time, the CapCut video editing application was also being blocked (it is the main tool for making the videos that are then uploaded to TikTok), so our young people were a bit in “shock” without fully understanding what was happening.

CapCut banned

Initially, the “punishment” was only for TikTok, but CapCut was also blacklisted in the United States due to its direct connection to ByteDance (the Chinese company that owns TikTok). Since its launch in 2020, it has become an essential tool for all those who upload videos thanks to the ease of editing (since not many people know how to use more professional video editors).

So, on the evening of January 18, users received a clear message: “CapCut is not available in this country” accompanied by a notice on social media explaining that they were forced to stop their activity in the United States.

What about content creators?

The ban on both apps has been a hard blow since many have TikTok as their regular job. Now they found themselves in need of finding another app with similar features with which they could continue using it.

As CapCut’s absence leaves a huge gap because, as we say, it is very interactive and easy to use, and although there are options like InShot or Adobe Premiere Rush, the transition is not easy once you have already become accustomed to another app.

What have TikTok CEO said?

Shou Zi Chew (TikTok CEO) addressed the user community directly expressing his commitment to keep the platform operational, but the truth is that the future of both platforms is in the hands of the incoming Administration (Trump) and it will be he who will have to analyse the situation. For now, the closure of both platforms has been extended for 90 days and their future is still up in the air.

Is national protection so important?

Following investigations, US authorities have argued that apps linked to this Chinese company represent a potential risk (because they could be selling information to the Chinese government). But critics of this measure also argue that this affects digital freedom and even question whether they are talking about technological censorship.

Are there alternatives to TikTok and CapCut?

For those who depended on TikTok and CapCut, it’s time to renew! Although there are other options, we know that none will be like TikTok.

Below we leave you alternatives for both applications:

To replace TikTok, you can use Instagram Reels, Youtube Shorts or Triller.

To be able to edit your videos, the alternatives to CapCut are InShot, Kinemaster or Adobe premiere Rush (in case you want to continue 
editing on your mobile phone)

But, what happens with TikTok and Capcut now?

You can breathe easy, because Tiktok is back again! It was Trump and his administration who asked to delay the closure through an executive order on his first day in office. So, yes, for the moment this app is available again as if nothing had happened (even many users cannot find it in the AppStore, don’t worry).

In the case of CapCut, it is not clear whether it will be operational again and, when accesing the application from the mobile phone, a message appears stating that they are “working to restore the service”, but, the trith is that it does not show any kind of timelay or say if CapCut will offer refunds to cusstomer who have paid for subscriptions…

But, at least you will be able to continue scrolling endlessly watching videos of dancing cats and recipes that you will never make! Long live TikTok!