TikTok Needs To Be ELIMINATED Due To RAMPANT Intellectual Property Violations

The TikTok ban came about due to its data collection and seemingly persuasive algorithmic effects that it’s having on our nation, specifically our nation’s youth. The thing is, it’s not being banned for the reason it SHOULD be banned. That reason is Intellectual Property

The TikTok Ban

It’s no secret that Congress has had TikTok in its crosshairs for some time. Starting with the No TikTok on Government Devices Act that passed on Dec 29, 2022 and ending with the final (potentially) nail in the coffin with the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act which passed 352-65 – it’s very clear that TikTok is an issue that had to be addressed.

Today, the Supreme Court upheld the law determining that the national security concerns outweighed the First Amendment protections. No new updates will be released, nor will anyone be able to download the app. So, if you’re curious and want to have it on your phone – you need to download it before this Sunday.

Whether or not this will fully stick and not have some hail mary change of plans is yet to be determined. There are powerful people that need to see teenagers dancing to K pop in their local malls, and they won’t have that right be infringed. Obviously, that’s a very gross generalization and underplaying of TikTok. TikTok has pros and cons, but the reasons for its ban don’t address its biggest issue: Intellectual Property theft.

Why SHOULD TikTok Be Removed?

TikTok is a platform that moves extremely fast. Creators come on and make content and get popular extremely fast. There’s very little barrier to entry, and the tools provided make it very easy to pull in copyrighted content. There are no mechanisms in place to stop any sort of IP violations other than user reporting, which is mildly effective at best. Other platforms like YouTube have content identification systems to detect protected material.

Also, the lack of personal information needed allows infringers to do their things with almost complete anonymity. If their account goes down, a new one goes up. There is no way to actually stop them at the source.

The TikTok ban SHOULD stay in effect to curtail the amount of IP Theft that occurs on the platform. There is no incentive to stop the IP theft occurring on the platform. There’s an argument to be had that due to the proportion of Chinese counterfeiters out there, and this being a Chinese app – that there is a lot of cohesiveness to allowing these problems to persist without any guardrails.

The Scope of IP Infringement on TikTok

From July 2023 to July 2024, according to a Retail Touch Points article, Tiktok:

• Had over 4,800 seller accounts permanently deactivated for IP violations
• Removed 800,000 videos and livestreams for IP infringements
• IPPC (IP Protection Center) processed over 180,000 requests
• Permanently revoked seller permissions for more than 30,000 TikTok Shop creators due to IPPC complaints

This sounds good, right? Well, this is what TikTok has taken action on. This doesn’t scratch the surface of the problem. It’s a very easy thing to spot once you have an eye for seeing IP infringements. It’s rampancy on TikTok, Amazon, Ebay, Facebook, etc., is astounding.

Won’t IP Infringements Just Happen On Other Sites?

Yes, but the other sites, generally, have better enforcement mechanisms in place. Also, while you can’t hold liable marketplaces or social media platforms for the content that its users post, the marketplaces do have American HQs with legal departments you can contact. There IS communication available with the American marketplaces and social media platforms. You can at least begin a dialog with these American companies. TikTok is a black hole when it comes to getting in contact with an employee.

To answer the question though – Yes, IP infringements will still continue happening on other sites. Shutting down TikTok will stop the virality of the spread as well as a platform that seems to have this issue at the bottom of their priority list.

Conclusion

TikTok’s ban might be focused on national security and its impact on our youth, but the real, under-addressed issue is its rampant intellectual property violations. The platform’s lack of robust enforcement mechanisms, combined with its anonymity and fast-paced nature, creates a haven for IP theft. While other platforms have systems in place to mitigate these issues, TikTok operates with far less accountability and transparency.

Yes, IP infringement exists everywhere, but TikTok’s unique structure amplifies the problem on a massive scale. By banning TikTok, we’re not solving every IP issue, but we’re taking a meaningful step in slowing down the spread of counterfeit goods and protecting creators’ rights.

At the end of the day, rights to intellectual property are a cornerstone of innovation and creativity. If we let platforms like TikTok get a pass, we’re sending the message that those rights don’t matter. It’s time to hold these platforms accountable and make the fight against IP theft a priority.

PS – Per of their Jan 8, 2025 article, the news of the ban isn’t worth mentioning for their 2025 What’s Next.

Thanks,

Brad