TikTokers Panic as Supreme Court Signals it May Uphold Ban
TikToker’s are melting down after the Supreme Court signaled it is likely to uphold a ban on the app.
The nationwide ban, which is set to begin on Jan. 19, has concerned influencers, many who make their living on the social media app.
“I’m an anxious mess over this TikTok ban,” user @themadivlog, who has amassed over 1 million followers, said in a video. “The TikTok ban takes away more than just silly little videos, silly little content. It takes away community we built together.”
In Friday’s Supreme Court hearing regarding the app, where its fate will be decided, the justices have remained skeptic of TikTok’s arguments. If the app were to remain in the United States, it would have to be sold.
ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, argued that the ban is a violation of the First Amendment. The federal government has said that a ban is needed due to national security due to ByteDance being a Chinese-owned company. As of now, ByteDance has been unwilling to part ways with TikTok despite governmental threats.
Conservative Justice Samuel Alito questioned why users couldn’t just move to another platform, comparing users’ attachment to the app to “somebody’s attachment to an old article of clothing,” according to Forbes.
One user, @_smoothsayer, who has over 185,000 followers, pointed out the algorithm differences between apps like TikTok, Instagram and YouTube.
“Unfortunately for most creators, you can’t post the same stuff on Instagram that you do on TikTok,” he said in a video. He then shared his personal Instagram for followers to move over to, and said he would start posting there after “TikTok’s funeral.”
Another TikToker posted herself on the way to her other job, and wrote on her video: “Scotus might approve the tiktok ban today meaning i may lose more than half of my income BUT i’m trusting that the universe will show me what the next steps are.”
Many on the app want the president-elect to block the ban. Donald Trump asking the justices to pause on the case until he takes office, however the ban is just expected to go into effect just one day before his return to the White House.
One user, @abbcat_ wrote on a video: “When the future of this app & your job is being decided on today and all you can do is pace around your apt drinking your morning coffee.” She has over 159,000 followers.
For many users, they have redirected their followers to other social media accounts, like Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.
One Airbnb content page, @airbnb_mountainmama, posted a TikTok that read: “Knowing very well if TikTok gets banned today we might have to sell our Smoky Mountain cabin.” The user has over 345,000 followers.
“I know a lot of creators are kind of scared, I see a lot of crying videos, because TikTok has changed people’s lives for the better,” user @tempesttnikole, who has 1.7 million followers, said on the app. “Keep good hopes, good thoughts. It’s not the end of anything, it’s just we got to work a little harder to do certain things.”
