The Biden administration’s top lawyer, Elizabeth B. Prelogar, argued that Congress had every right to enact the ban, saying the Chinese government could spy on Americans, in addition to their contacts, through TikTok. “It’s about trying to remove a vulnerability that could be exploited by a foreign adversary,” she said. Outside the courtroom, dozens TikTok users have come together in support of the application. With a January 19 deadline, the court is likely to issue a decision next week — a decision that could have lasting effects on the future of social media for creators. If it goes into effect, it remains unclear whether, or how, President-elect Trump will enforce the ban once in the office.
“I would end up feeling like I lost everything,” Dunn says when I ask him about the ban. “I don’t think people understand how I keep a roof over my head like this. It’s like people saying your company is going to fail and you have no control over it.”
In addition to brand deals, Dunn participates in TikTok’s creator rewards program, which pays creators with a minimum of 10,000 followers and 100,000 monthly views to make original content in minutes. Between the brand partnerships and money made through the program, Dunn, who is 30, tells me he has averaged several “five-figure months” in 2024. “The loss of jobs and revenue from this will far outweigh the national security risks they’re screaming about to that,” he says.
TikTok Shop, the app’s e-commerce feature, changed the game for small business owners when it debuted in September 2023. After some early hiccups—which included, of all things, snail slime— TikTok Shop turned out great; applications increase in the number of sellers outperformed competitors like Amazon, which TikTok ultimately wants to replace (or at least dethrone). Beauty products and women’s clothing are often the best-selling items across the platform. According to Shopifyby 2023, 12 percent of TikTok Shops were based in the US, with 45 percent Americans who made purchases through the TikTok Shop. In 2023daily sales in the US exceeded 7 million dollars.
Renee McClintock, a 29-year-old mother of two, is one of the more persistent entrepreneurs on the app. You name it, she sold: electrolyte packs, a cotton candy machine, iPhone cases, jeans, vaginal probiotic gummies. Last summer, a video the details of how much she earned in a week — $4,764.63 — went viral. McClintock declined to speak to me for this story — she only does paid collaborations, starting at $150, she wrote in an email — but noted that as of July, her gross merchandise through the affiliate program was $600,000.
TikTok isn’t the only platform that allows creators to make a profit, but it seems to be the exception to the rule. YouTube, Instagram, and Twitch provide different ways for users to earn money, either through ads or affiliate links. But none of them have what TikTok has, says Jon Selman, vice president of influencer marketing at BenLabs, an agency whose clients and influencers Colin Keys, Savagemomlifeand Amaury Guichon.