TikTok Banned in the U.S.- What This Means for Social Media Screening

On January 14, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to issue a ruling on the TikTok ban, effectively upholding the federal ban on TikTok and solidifying its removal from the U.S. market. This decision follows the passage of a bipartisan foreign aid package on April 24, 2024, which included provisions requiring TikTok to be sold to a U.S. entity or cease operations in the country by January 19, 2025. Despite the legal challenges, TikTok has indicated it will not sell and has shut down U.S. operations, impacting roughly 170 million users, content creators, and businesses that have relied on the platform for engagement and revenue.

TikTok bans are not new

Several countries around the world have banned TikTok. When this has occurred, users and creators have historically moved to Instagram and increased adoption of Instagram Reels. In anticipation of these shifts, Fama expanded its screening capabilities to include Instagram Reels in August 2024. This forward-thinking approach ensures our customers remain supported in an evolving social media landscape.

What does this mean for Screening TikTok?

Fama is the global leader in online screening, enabling organizations to ethically and compliantly screen over 10,000 online sources and social media platforms for misconduct risks such as violence, threats, and online harassment. TikTok became part of our screening solutions in February 2024 due to its significant user base and global influence. As you may know, TikTok is back online in the US. Our technology team confirmed that zero reports, including those submitted during the brief outage, were impacted by the downtime. All systems and sources are online for Fama, and we’ll be managing the situation closely and will alert you of any future changes. Know our product teams are on the frontlines of understanding what is and is not possible as it relates to screening TikTok in the U.S. and abroad. As this situation evolves we will continue to share updates with our customers and the screening industry as a whole.

Since discussions of a potential TikTok ban began, Fama has been closely monitoring the situation and proactively taking steps to ensure continuity, reliability, and world-class customer service for our customers

Global TikTok screening will likely not be affected

In the event TikTok shuts down again, we anticipate Fama’s global operations will continue screening TikTok where the platform remains available for candidates outside the U.S. Our international customers will likely not experience disruptions and can expect the same level of support and service.

Moving Forward

Fama remains steadfast in its mission to create safe and inclusive workplaces. We are fully prepared to support our U.S. customers through this transition, ensuring they have access to the tools and resources necessary to maintain their hiring processes. We are also closely monitoring the situation and will continue to provide updates. We encourage you to subscribe to the Fama blog below to be the first to know.

For more information on Fama, contact us at www.fama.io.