A TikTok ban would be the first extinction-level event on social media

The Biden administration’s solicitor general, Elizabeth B. Prelogar said Congress had every right to enact a ban, saying the Chinese government could spy on Americans, as well as their communications, through TikTok. “It’s about trying to close a vulnerability that a foreign state adversary could exploit,” she said. And outside the courtroom there were dozens TikTok users rallied To support the application. Given the January 19 deadline, the court will likely make a decision next week, one that could have lasting ramifications for the future of social media for creators. If it goes into effect, it remains unclear whether President-elect Trump will do so, or how Imposing the ban Once in office.

“I’ll end up feeling like I’ve lost everything,” Dan says when I ask him about the ban. “I don’t think people realize that this is how I keep a roof over my head. It’s like people are saying your company is going bankrupt and you have no control over it.”

In addition to brand deals, Dunn participates in TikTok’s creator rewards program, which It pays creators With at least 10,000 followers and 100,000 monthly views to create minutes-long original content. Between the brand partnerships and money made through the program, Dan, 30, told me, he’s averaging several “five-figure months” in 2024. “The job and income losses from this are going to be much greater than the national security risk.” “. “They’re screaming,” he says.

TikTok Shop, the app’s e-commerce feature, was a game-changer for small business owners when it debuted in September 2023. After overcoming some early hurdles, which included, of all things, Snail slime– The TikTok store has proven to be formidable; Application Surge in sellers It has outperformed competitors like Amazon, which TikTok eventually wants to replace (or at least oust). Beauty products and women’s clothing are often the best-selling items across the platform. according to ShopifyBy 2023, 12 percent of TikTok stores were based in the United States 45 percent From Americans who purchased through the TikTok Store. In 2023Daily US sales exceeded $7 million.

Renee McClintock, a 29-year-old mother of two, is one of the app’s most determined entrepreneurs. You name it, she’s sold it: electrolyte packs, cotton candy machines, iPhone cases, blue jeans, vaginal probiotic gummies. Last summer, A video Details of how much she earned in the week — $4,764.63 — have gone viral. McClintock declined to talk to me for this story — she only does paid collaborations, starting at $150, she wrote in an email — but she noted that since July, through the partnership program, her gross merchandise volume (GMV) has reached $600,000 .

TikTok isn’t the only platform that allows content creators to make money, but it seems to be the exception to the rule. YouTube, Instagram, and Twitch all offer different paths for users to earn money, whether through ads or affiliate links. But none of them have what TikTok has, says John Selman, vice president of influencer marketing at BenLabs, an agency whose clients include influencers. Colin Keyes, Savagemomliveand Amori Jishon.