With America’s TikTok ban coming into effect on January 19, University of the Sunshine Coast social media expert Dr Karen Sutherland is available to discuss what this means for the social media landscape as a whole – and whether Australia could follow suit.
Expert available
Dr Sutherland is a UniSC senior lecturer, author, researcher and global commentator on social media practices and AI in strategic communications.
“With 170 million users in the US and the platform generating $16 billion in revenue, it's hard to imagine TikTok simply disappearing," Dr Sutherland said.
"The January 19 deadline is approaching quickly, but whether this means the end of TikTok or just another evolution in social media, we'll have to wait and see.
“What is really fascinating is how US users are responding. Rather than returning to established platforms like Meta or X as everyone expected, they're migrating to RedNote, a Chinese app.
"It's ironic. The the ban meant to reduce Chinese influence is actually pushing users toward a more direct relationship with Chinese platforms.
“While Australia often follows American tech policies, this situation is quite different. Australia's concerns have typically centred more around age restrictions and content moderation rather than national security.
"However, if the US ban goes ahead, it could certainly spark similar conversations here, especially given our own complex relationship with Chinese technology."
Media enquiries: Please contact the Media Team media@usc.edu.au