Social media platforms' use of nonmarket strategy to manage politically contentious issues in host countries: The case of TikTok in the US market

TY - JOUR

T1 - Social media platforms' use of nonmarket strategy to manage politically contentious issues in host countries

T2 - The case of TikTok in the US market

AU - Sun, Yiwen

AU - Pinkse, Jonatan

AU - Bleda, Mercedes

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2025 The Authors

PY - 2025/12/10

Y1 - 2025/12/10

N2 - Global digital platforms span diverse domains, from social media to online marketplaces, and wield significant influence within their respective sectors. The rise of social media platforms, in particular, has sparked growing concern over their impact on individual behaviour, political discourse, and the management of personal data. These concerns have led to mounting institutional pressure from governments and the public, especially around issues of content curation, moderation, and data security. Responding to such pressures is complex for platforms, as they operate across multiple jurisdictions with overlapping yet often contradictory institutional demands. This paper investigates the institutional pressures faced by social media platforms in host-country contexts, focusing on their influence over users through content moderation and data governance. It examines how these platforms deploy nonmarket strategies to navigate these challenges, using TikTok's operations in the US market as a case study. The findings reveal that despite persistent scrutiny from the US government, TikTok has employed a range of nonmarket actions. These include direct actions such as enhancing content moderation and pursuing legal avenues, as well as indirect approaches like mobilising its user base. This study offers insights into the unique political challenges social media platforms encounter in host-country contexts and highlights the platform-specific strategies they develop to address these pressures.

AB - Global digital platforms span diverse domains, from social media to online marketplaces, and wield significant influence within their respective sectors. The rise of social media platforms, in particular, has sparked growing concern over their impact on individual behaviour, political discourse, and the management of personal data. These concerns have led to mounting institutional pressure from governments and the public, especially around issues of content curation, moderation, and data security. Responding to such pressures is complex for platforms, as they operate across multiple jurisdictions with overlapping yet often contradictory institutional demands. This paper investigates the institutional pressures faced by social media platforms in host-country contexts, focusing on their influence over users through content moderation and data governance. It examines how these platforms deploy nonmarket strategies to navigate these challenges, using TikTok's operations in the US market as a case study. The findings reveal that despite persistent scrutiny from the US government, TikTok has employed a range of nonmarket actions. These include direct actions such as enhancing content moderation and pursuing legal avenues, as well as indirect approaches like mobilising its user base. This study offers insights into the unique political challenges social media platforms encounter in host-country contexts and highlights the platform-specific strategies they develop to address these pressures.

KW - digital platforms

KW - social media platforms

KW - international business

KW - nonmarket strategy

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105014440787

U2 - 10.1016/j.intman.2025.101293

DO - 10.1016/j.intman.2025.101293

M3 - Article

SN - 1075-4253

VL - 31

JO - Journal of International Management

JF - Journal of International Management

IS - 6

M1 - 101293

ER -