As the Supreme Court considers arguments Friday over whether TikTok can be banned in the U.S. later this month, millions of American users await the verdict with bated breath.
Small business owners and full-time creators, who rely on the app for their livelihoods, are among those most eagerly anticipating the ruling. This group contributes billions of dollars to the economy, as highlighted in research conducted by TikTok in collaboration with Oxford Economics.
The case, now recognized as a pivotal instance of the clash between free speech and national security, commenced in early 2024 when President Joe Biden enacted legislation declaring TikTok illegal in the U.S. unless ByteDance divests the platform by January 19, 2025. If the ban is implemented, the app would be prohibited from being distributed via the Apple App Store and Google Play.
Proponents of the ban argue that the app poses a serious risk to national security, enabling China to collect data on American citizens and promote pro-Chinese narratives. Conversely, advocates for TikTok contend that implementing the ban would deny users access to their favored digital platform, thereby violating their rights to free speech.
"Is TikTok really our biggest worry?"
TikTok creator @dutchdeccc got to the heart of what many users are feeling in a video that has gained nearly 10 million views since being posted last year.
"Is affordable housing within our reach? No. Can we cancel student debt? No. Is it possible to increase the minimum wage while companies are making unprecedented profits? No," he starts off.
He proceeds to enumerate a series of additional social, economic, and political concerns that he and fellow advocates believe warrant greater focus than the prohibition of the social media application.
"Is it possible for us to at least view videos on an app showcasing people engaging in enjoyable activities and discovering more about our surroundings? Unfortunately, the answer is no," he goes on.
The perspective that prioritizing a TikTok ban may not be essential for U.S. lawmakers has been widely circulated by creators of all sizes through various videos, and this sentiment has been reflected in the comments on numerous discussions surrounding the ban.
"It's the dumbest (expletive) I've ever heard," well-known influencer and makeup artist James Charles said to NBC in an interview at the 2024 GLAAD awards. "Starving people are dying, people are in jail for marijuana (expletive) charges, we're in a war that we should not be in in the first place and TikTok is our most pressing concern?"
Users express concerns that free speech, education, and community engagement will be suppressed.
Reflecting the main point TikTok is making before the Supreme Court, users have argued that being able to access the app pertains to free speech and the availability of information.
"Never realized how serious information control is in our country," said one popular comment under a video posted by @aaronparnas1. "Thought we were the 'land of the free.' Now I see to be at the top in this world, you gotta be corrupt. There’s no way around this."
"I received alerts from various hospitals, ATT, and even my mortgage provider informing me that my personal information has been compromised. This situation isn’t just about our individual privacy; it's really about preventing us from sharing information with one another," remarked another user, garnering over 13,000 likes.
Some people contend that the educational content offered for free on TikTok has been more beneficial to them compared to resources found on other social media platforms.
"Unlike any other social media platform, TikTok stands out. In the four years I've been using it, I've gained more from this app than in the 18 years I've spent on Facebook," remarked a user whose comment received over 24,000 likes.
"In just six months on TikTok, I've gained more knowledge than I ever did throughout my entire education. I'm talking about essential life skills. It seems we've completely forgotten the importance of these skills. TikTok is helping to revive them, and that seems to intimidate the government," expressed another user.
Kiera Spann (@famousblonde), who is one of eight plaintiffs who filed a lawsuit to keep TikTok in the U.S., has used her platform to build a community and an advocate for sexual assault and abuse survivors.
"I have been an advocate against sexual assault and domestic violence on this platform since 2021 after a brutal domestic violence incident on my college campus where I used TikTok to bring awareness to that incident...and brought attention to that case, allowing the survivor to get justice," she said in a video about the lawsuit.
"I often describe my page and the comments section as a kind of 'Me Too' movement in miniature, as numerous survivors discover comfort in sharing their experiences with one another and with me there," she elaborated. "To strip that away, all in the name of a data security bill, especially when our data is routinely sold to foreign entities by countless American companies, is truly alarming to me."
Livelihoods and income from small businesses are in jeopardy.
A clear and possibly immediate consequence of the ban is its extensive economic effects. Small business proprietors have expressed their worries about this issue quite openly.
Callie Goodwin, owner of account @theloseitlog, said she flew into Washington, D.C. from South Carolina with her friend and fellow TikTok content creator Sarah Baus to watch the oral arguments on Friday. Goodwin, 30, and Baus, 27, both said they rely on TikTok for their livelihoods.
Goodwin, who owns a small greeting card and personalized gift store called Sparks Of Joy Co, said the vast majority of her sales come from people who find her business on TikTok. Several months ago, during the height of the holiday gift-shopping season, she said she sold over $30,000 worth of products on the app in just nine days.
“If we were to lose TikTok, I really fear for the survival of my business,” Goodwin told USA TODAY's Karissa Waddick while waiting in line Friday morning. She argues that TikTok’s unique algorithm allows small businesses like hers to flourish in a way other platforms, like Meta’s Facebook and Instagram, don’t.
“We've got 115,000 followers over on TikTok. We've got, like, less than 3,000 (followers) combined between Instagram and Facebook,” she said. “To have that entire community, that customer base and that ability to reach our target audience wiped out would be devastating for my business.”
A 2023 Oxford Economics study, produced in collaboration with TikTok, found the platform contributed $24.2 billion to the U.S. gross domestic product that year, while also supporting 224,000 jobs. It also found that out of 170 million total active U.S. users, more than 7 million were businesses.
TikTok itself also shared a 2024 economic impact report that showed small businesses advertising on TikTok saw an 88% increase in sales, taking in a total of $15 billion. The report also said that 52% of small businesses rely on the app to stay competitive.
Creator @chloebluffcakes shared her own business success story, saying it was users on the app who encouraged her to pursue her real passion of baking. From there, she created the Chloe's Giant Cookies, which became wildly successful and has since served cookies to celebrities like Jessica Simpson and enabled her to nab a cookbook deal.
"My aspirations truly turned into reality, and I owe it all to TikTok," she shared. "It was through TikTok that, when my mom's brain cancer worsened and I realized I was about to lose her, I was able to seek assistance, and my little sister found support as well."
She further elaborates that following her mother's passing, the TikTok community she had cultivated became her main source of support while she juggled the responsibilities of caring for her young sibling alongside her own child, all while navigating the immense sorrow.
"Perhaps, just perhaps, hold off on your judgments and reflect on the countless women and families like myself who nurtured a dream right here, putting in immense effort to bring it to fruition, only to face the possibility of losing it," she concluded.
Developing content for the app has turned into a full-time occupation for numerous creators, many of whom struggled to achieve similar success on other platforms.
"What the hell am I going to do if TikTok is banned?" said user @eyegameuwatch, a gaming account with nearly 700,000 followers and 19.4 million likes. "Before I got on TikTok...I hated my (expletive) job. I was depressed, didn't know what I was going to do in life...I was broke, then I got fired."
"I dedicated 18 to 20 hours each day to this app, working hard and producing content," he said. "In just four months of using the platform, I transitioned to being a full-time content creator, cleared all my debts, and even managed to relocate."
"I achieved my success thanks to this platform, and now, through no wrongdoing on my part, my means of living could be jeopardized if they choose to permanently ban this app."