Potential TikTok ban could impact Hampton Roads content creators

Nick Broadway
·2 min read
25

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — It is how some people put bread on the table. A potential TikTok ban could be a financial hit to social media influencers across Hampton Roads. Lawmakers are taking up the bill as concerns grow over TikTok’s ties to the Chinese company, ByteDance.

The bill that lawmakers are voting on would give TikTok about five months to part ways with the company. If they do not meet that deadline, U.S. app stores would be prohibited from hosting TikTok.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Local expert on possible TikTok ban

10 On Your Side spoke with Stormy Blue, a popular social media influencer based out of Hampton Roads. Her fans, affectionately called “Storm Chasers,” look forward to posts about local eateries, things to do in town and her other lifestyle videos.

Blue said she got her start on TikTok in 2020, before gaining a larger following on Instagram. This quickly became her full-time job. Without TikTok, she does not think she would have the amount of viewers she has today. She said the algorithm on TikTok makes it easier for people with no followers to gain popularity if they post consistently.

Big brands could pivot easily if TikTok goes away

Since expanding her reach, Blue started a social media management agency. Blue would still lose more than 50,000 followers and a chunk of her income if the app were to vanish. But thanks to expanding her business outside TikTok, she will not lose her job.

Blue advises other influencers to start expanding their reach outside of TikTok early.

“Even if the reels did stop, I feel like I would still be okay with the business that I have,” Blue said. “But again, everyone has different situations. So that’s why I just heavily tell content creators, please just make sure you’re investing your money and moving it around properly.”

She believes Instragram offers a natural transition for TikTok creators.

The bill passed the house in a bi-partisan vote earlier this month. It is now heading to the Senate, which expected to vote on it sometime in the coming weeks.
The bill would then head to President Biden, who previously said he would sign it.

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