TikTok creators post farewell videos for their fans before the US ban

Faced with the prospect of TikTok disappearing in the US, the app’s creators have spent the week posting heartfelt goodbyes to their fans.

“I never in a million years thought anyone would care what I had to say,” Kimberly Rhodes, creator of humorous videos 3 million followers told her on Thursday. “If this program goes away, it’s been a beautiful, beautiful ride.”

A day later, the Supreme Court voted 9-0 to support a law requiring the forced sale of TikTok by China’s ByteDance, or a ban on the app in the U.S. The short-form video app that became popular and changed the way Americans used social media during the pandemic will be shut down as soon as Sunday, meaning it may disappear from the Internet and be removed from managed app stores an apple and Google.

Congress passed the law, signed President Joe Bidenciting national security concerns over TikTok’s data collection practices and ties to China.

U next video on Friday, Rhodes sang about 30 seconds of “Taps,” a military song often performed at funerals. She finished by saying, “It was an honor to make you laugh.”

The fate of TikTok in the US it is now in the hands of the president-elect Donald Trumpwho initially advocated banning TikTok during his first administration, but has since backed away from the issue. Trump in December asked Supreme Court to to suspend the execution of the law and to give his administration “an opportunity to seek a political resolution of the issues at issue in the case.”

In a Friday post on his social media app Truth Social, Trump wrote: “My decision on TikTok will be made in the near future, but I need to have time to consider the situation. Stay tuned!” CEO of TikTok Shou Chew is one of several technological leaders attendance is expected at Trump’s inauguration in Washington, D.C., on Monday. In a short video clip, Chew thanked Trump “for his willingness to work with us to find a solution that will allow TikTok to be available” in the US

Regardless of whether Trump eventually finds a way to keep the app open to American consumers, many TikTok creators are preparing for the end by telling their fans to find them on other social platforms, such as Google’s YouTube and Meta Facebook and Instagram, CNBC before reported. RedNoteChinese social media app and Similar to TikTok, rose to the top Apple’s app store on Monday, suggesting that millions of TikTok users are looking for alternatives.

The creator migration The pace seems to have picked up as the ban approaches. Influencers like Megan Cruz used their farewell videos as an opportunity to show off their TikTok credentials.

“People were interested in things like BookTok and FilmTok and the idea of ​​doing culture on TikTok because you don’t have to be a big creator,” said Cruz, in the video posted earlier this week. “There was an incentive for people to join the conversation because everyone had the potential to be a leader in the conversation, to make a point that resonated with millions of people.”

TikTok’s history as a viral sensation dates back to 2017, when ByteDance spent about $1 billion to acquire a startup called Musical.ly. The following year, ByteDance merged Musical.ly and TikTok.

Around that time, TikTok started to take off in the US, mainly as an app that young people used for short dance clips and lip sync videos. TikTok’s big breakthrough came during the pandemic correction of 2020, when consumers were looking for ways to pass the time and connect with others online.

The app was so successful that Internet giants Meta and Google launched copycat services. Meta introduced Reels to US Instagram users in August 2020 and then added it to Facebook. Google launched YouTube Shorts in the US in March 2021.

Despite the competition, TikTok continued to grow.

TikTok has about 115 million monthly active users in the U.S., compared with 258 million on YouTube, 253 million on Facebook and 131 million on Instagram, according to market analytics firm Sensor Tower.

Although TikTok lags behind its competitors in user numbers, the Chinese app has become a hub for creators, defined as users with more than 1,000 followers. TikTok has nearly 8.5 million users in the U.S. who fit that category, compared to about 5.2 million on Instagram and 1.1 million on YouTube, according to HypeAuditor, an influencer marketing platform.

Internet advocacy group of businessman Frank McCourt Freedom project On January 9, it announced that it had submitted an offer to buy TikTok from ByteDance on undisclosed terms. McCourt told CNBC on Friday that “we are, I believe, the only bidder” that meets the necessary criteria to separate the technology from the Chinese algorithm.

If ByteDance decides to sell, potential buyers may have to spend between $40 billion and $50 billion, according to estimates estimate on TikTok’s US operations from CFRA’s senior vice president of research, Angelo Zino.

Some creators let their fans know where to find them in anticipation of the shutdown. Others encourage users to unfollow them on Meta services or encourage them to take a break from social media altogether.

“I’ve heard a lot of people say that if TikTok goes away, you’re just going to cut social media out of your life, and I agree with that — it’s probably going to be really good for you,” said Jack Ryan, a creator with 2 million followers on TikTok. , in the video thanked his fans for their support on Thursday.

“I have Instagram. I have a huge following, but don’t follow me on Instagram,” Ryan added. “Don’t go on. It’s brain rot. It’s disgusting.”

Jonas Gindin, who has more than 400,000 followers on Tiktok, said in a video that a year and a half ago he was an officer trying to become an actor in Los Angeles. He was not very lucky.

After finding a fan base on TikTok, Gindin said he was able to consistently create content on the app.

“When we’re done, it’s been a ride, man,” Gindin said. “Every time I see someone comment something positive, it means the world bro.”

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