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The general counsel of the Biden administration, Elizabeth B. Prelogar, argued that Congress had every right to enact a ban, saying that the Chinese government could spy on Americans, in addition to their contacts, through TikTok. “It’s about trying to close a vulnerability that a foreign nation’s adversary could exploit,” he said. Outside the courtroom, dozens of TikTok users have come together in support of the app. Facing a January 19 deadline, the court is likely to make a decision next week — one that could have lasting ramifications on the future of social media for creators. If it takes effect, it is not clear if, or how, President-elect Trump enforce the ban once in the office.
“In the end, I feel like I lost everything,” Dunn says when asked about the ban. “I don’t think people understand that this is how I keep a roof over my head. It’s like people saying your company is going out of business and you have no control over it.
In addition to brand business, Dunn participates in the reward program for creators of TikTok, which pay the creators with a minimum of 10,000 followers and 100,000 monthly views to make original content in minutes. Between the brand partnerships and the money made with the program, Dunn, who is 30, tells me he’s made an average of several “five-figure months” in 2024. “The loss of jobs and income from this will be much greater than the risks to national security they shout about.
TikTok Shop, the app’s ecommerce feature, was a game changer for small business owners when it debuted in September 2023. After navigating a few initial hiccups, which included, of all things, snail slime-TikTok Shop proved formidable; the app growth in sellers surpassed competitors such as Amazon, which TikTok finally wants to replace (or at least dethrone). Beauty and women’s products are often the best-selling items on the entire platform. According to Shopifyby 2023 12 percent of TikTok Shops were US-based, with 45 percent of Americans who have purchased through TikTok Shop. In 2023daily sales in the United States exceeded $7 million.
Renee McClintock, a 29-year-old mother of two, is one of the app’s most tenacious entrepreneurs. You name it, he sold it: electrolyte packs, a cotton candy machine, iPhone cases, blue jeans, vaginal probiotic gummies. Last summer, a video Detailing how much he made in one week — $4,764.63 — it went viral. McClintock declined to speak with me for this story — she only does paid collaborations, starting at $150, she wrote in an email — but noted that since July, through the affiliate program, her gross merchandise volume (GMV ) was $600,000.
TikTok is not 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 avenues for users to earn money, either through advertising or affiliate links. But no one has what TikTok has, says Jon Selman, vice president of influencer marketing at BenLabs, an agency whose clients include influencers. Colin Keys, Savagemomlifeand Amaury Guichon.
