‘Just seems out of touch and distasteful’: TikTok content creator in DC says ban of app would be ‘devastating’
WASHINGTON (DC News Now) – President Joe Biden signed a new bill Wednesday, paving the way for a ban on the popular social media app TikTok.
The measure is part of a larger security and war aid package, which includes funding for Ukraine and Israel.
Under the legislation, TikTok parent company, ByteDance, which is based in Beijing, has nine months to sell the company, or it’ll be banned in the U.S. There is a three-month extension if a deal is in progress, meaning the ban could be roughly a year away.
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The move comes after years of national leaders, including former President Donald Trump, started raising security concerns over the app.
“The idea that we would give the Communist party this much of a propaganda tool as well as the ability to scrape 170 million American’s personal data, it is a national security risk,” Virginia Sen. Mark Warner said during an interview on Face the Nation.
TikTok’s CEO Shou Chew is pushing back.
“Make no mistake this is a ban. A ban on TikTok and a ban on your voice,” said Chew, who is calling the move as an attack on the First Amendment. “Rest assured we aren’t going anywhere. We are confident and we will keep fighting for your rights in the courts. The facts and the constitution is on our side.”
More than 170 million Americans use the app, according to Chew.
That includes D.C. content creator, Macey Myers.
“I have always enjoyed taking photos and that kind of developed into taking videos as well and it’s really just been a creative outlet for me. I started showcasing my life in D.C.,” she explained.
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Her account has now taken off with more than 30,000 followers, with some of her TikToks receiving a few hundred thousand views.
Myers has been able to monetize her posts which she uses as a side hustle to pay bills.
“I make a decent amount of money off of TikTok and it’s really helped offset the cost of inflation,” she said. “I have student loans, so normally it goes straight to paying bills and being able to have financial freedom. Not making money on TikTok would be devastating for me honestly.”
She’s not alone in this feeling.
“TikTok has been really revolutionary in the way audiences and creators can find each other really quickly,” said Hannah Yasharoff. “Then revenue would be the other part of that. A lot off brands are investing in local creators.”
Yasharoff reports on entertainment and culture and has covered the growth of influencers over the last few years. She said influencers can make anywhere from a few hundred dollars for a sponsored post to a few thousand dollars.
“That would be a significant part of most people’s income,” she explained.
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Because the discussion around the TikTok ban has been underway for years, she said influencers and content creators have had some time to prepare for the possibility of a ban.
“What It means to be an influencer today is knowing how to pivot and how to create that staying power,” she said, meaning many have been expanding to other platforms to sustain themselves. “They post on TikTok, they also post on Instagram, a lot of them are also moving to YouTube. They are crossing their fingers this won’t happen, but they’re prepared if it does.”
Myers is preparing for TikTok to be banned. But, she doesn’t agree with the decision made by federal leaders.
“I’m trying to pivot my audience to Instagram but TikTok and Instagram are very different and I love the audience I’ve created on TikTok,” said Myers. “It just seems out of touch and distasteful and a waste of time that American lawmakers are worried about this when inflation is at an all time high, people can’t pay their bills.”
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