I’ve been using TikTok for a while now, and it’s been really fun. I love to learn new dances, find new hauls, and most of all, watch influencer Pressley Hosbach. I love getting to know more influencers, celebrities, and creators. I understand the U.S. is doing this for safety reasons, but losing this app greatly affects me because some of my favorite videos and creators are on it.
TikTok is now faced with an imminent ban that will take effect on June 19th, if not sold to an American company. The U.S. government decided to ban it due to data privacy and security reasons. TikTok, a popular social media platform owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, dominates the global entertainment scene.
If ByteDance is willing to sell its company to an American owner, the platform will be saved. Currently, some are turning to alternative apps, such as Xiaohongshu, or RedNote as it is commonly known in the U.S. TikTok’s ban has sent shockwaves through the tech world and social media landscape, leaving hundreds of millions of users, content creators, and businesses scrambling to adjust to a post-TikTok era.
If TikTok is banned, it will be removed from app stores on all devices in the U.S. If you already have TikTok on your phone, it will stay functional but you won’t be able to update it anymore. If you love TikTok, download and save all your favorites on there and follow your favorite creators on other social platforms.
Impact on users and creators
TikTok, which boasts over 150 million active users in the U.S., has become an entertainment powerhouse over the last few years, with viral trends, dance challenges, and influencer-led content reshaping the digital entertainment landscape. Its rapid growth and the rise of content creators, many of whom have built lucrative careers on the platform, make this ban a particularly bitter blow to the digital economy.
TikTok is not just entertainment but it’s a source of income and a job as well. Influencers, small businesses, and creators who relied on the app for visibility and revenue are now faced with an uncertain future. Some are already migrating to other platforms, such as Instagram and YouTube shorts. These platforms have not yet been able to replicate TikTok’s unique combination of user engagement and algorithmic virality. People use this platform to grow their companies through marketing and advertising, and some rely on this for a living, so a ban would be particularly devastating.
