The TikTok ban: is it really going to happen?

On this episode of The Vergecast, we talk about what’s inside the Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (everybody calls it PAFFACAA, just kidding; nobody calls it that, everybody just calls it “The TikTok Ban”) and what we know about TikTok’s connection to China. The answer: not a lot! But four years in, Congress seems more convinced than ever, and that might mean something. Or it might not. We spend a long time debating what that means.

After that, we discuss who might buy TikTok, whether TikTok is even for sale, and what companies like Meta, Snap, and X stand to gain from a TikTok ban. And finally, we try to decide which outcome is the most likely: a TikTok ban, a TikTok sale, or nothing at all?

If you want to read more on everything we covered in this show (there’s a lot!), here are a few links to get you started, first on TikTok:

And on the streaming news of the week:

And in the lightning round:

We’re really curious to hear what you think about the TikTok ban in particular. As always, you can get in touch with us by emailing [email protected], calling the Vergecast Hotline at +1-866-VERGE11, or hitting us up on Threads. Or TikTok! For now.