Banning TikTok Would Boost Alphabet, Meta And Snap—Here’s How Much Their Stocks Could Jump

Topline

A trio of American technology giants could tack on some $431 billion in market value if the U.S. bans TikTok, according to Bernstein analysis published Thursday, as the issues posed by the wildly popular Chinese-owned social media app take center stage in Washington.

Key Facts

Crucial Quote

“Who wins? Everyone,” Bernstein declared about which of the three companies stands to benefit the most from a TikTok ban. Meta is best-positioned to gain market share in short-form video thanks to Reels’ strong adoption already, Snapchat is in line for the “biggest relative increase in time spent,” while YouTube surged in popularity following the country’s own 2020 ban on TikTok, the analysts noted.

Key Background

The Biden Administration has demanded ByteDance must sell TikTok or the app will face a possible nationwide ban, according to reports last week. TikTok has drawn scrutiny due to fears the Chinese government could access data collected by the increasingly popular app. Forbes investigations in recent months revealed ByteDance used TikTok to spy on American citizens, including Forbes reporters, actions now under probe by the FBI and Justice Department. India banned TikTok in June 2020 to “ensure safety and sovereignty of Indian cyberspace,” citing data privacy concerns for private citizens. The U.S. barred TikTok from being downloaded on government-issued devices last month. Fighting against legislation in Congress that would give the Biden Administration the power to ban certain foreign-owned technology, TikTok insists U.S. data has never been shared with the Chinese government, and has promised to store U.S. users’ data in American servers.

Tangent

Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts both shot up in popularity in India immediately following its ban, while new apps looking to duplicate TikTok’s format also gained millions of users. But ByteDance retains access to a glut of the personal data of past Indian TikTok users, a TikTok employee told Forbes.

Further Reading

China Opposes Forced TikTok Sale By U.S. Regulators (Forbes)

How A TikTok Ban Would Deal A Blow To Creators, Businesses And The American Economy (Forbes)

The FBI And DOJ Are Investigating ByteDance’s Use Of TikTok To Spy On Journalists (Forbes)

India Banned TikTok In 2020. TikTok Still Has Access To Years Of Indians’ Data (Forbes)

Here’s What Happened When This Massive Country Banned TikTok (Forbes)