You Can’t Play “Marvel Snap” in the USA. Why?
American players of “Marvel Snap” were surprised when they tried to connect to the game. A screen appeared informing them that the game had been banned in the United States:
This message is only partially true. The issue is tied to the U.S. government’s ongoing conflict with the Chinese company ByteDance.
U.S. politicians have determined that apps owned by ByteDance pose a security risk to the United States and its citizens due to the collection of sensitive data that could potentially be accessed by the Chinese government.
The Key Detail
Interestingly, U.S. politicians are not opposed to these apps surveilling users (the U.S. lacks comprehensive laws protecting app users’ privacy). They simply demand that ByteDance sell TikTok to an American investor. ByteDance refused, and as a result, the regulations banning the app have come into effect.
The situation is slightly more complex. The regulations don’t directly prohibit individual users from using TikTok. Instead, they impose fines on American entities that distribute the app or provide hosting services for it (e.g., Google, Apple, Oracle). The fine is $5,000 per active user.
Faced with these potential penalties for its business partners, ByteDance decided to disable TikTok in the U.S. The app is no longer functional and cannot be found in Google and Apple app stores.
The ByteDance Connection
Moreover, ByteDance chose to disable all its applications in the U.S. (such as CapCut and Lemon8). This is where “Marvel Snap” comes in. The game is published by Nuverse, which is owned by none other than ByteDance.
However, ByteDance had not announced plans to disable the game in the U.S. The shutdown happened abruptly, catching many fans off guard. Panic ensued when players found they couldn’t access the game.
ByteDance claims the app shutdown is temporary, but it remains unclear if or when Americans will regain access to them.
