- The Supreme Court has unanimously upheld a TikTok ban unless its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, sells the app, citing national security concerns.
- Local TikTok users, including influencers and small business owners, share how the potential ban could impact their income and community connections.
- Watch the video above to hear from Mid-Michigan users about how they're preparing for the ban and their hopes for the app's future.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
For millions of Americans, and many here in Mid-Michigan, scrolling on TikTok is almost second nature. But soon, due to a Supreme Court ruling, the app will go dark. I'm your neighborhood reporter, Russell Shellberg, showing you what this means and how it’s impacting neighbors.
For over 170 million Americans, TikTok is a place to learn, laugh, and relax. But for users like Terrell Wade, it’s also a source of income.
"I've definitely made six figures, well over six figures, these past couple of years just posting content and working with brands," said Wade.
On Friday, I met with Wade to talk about TikTok and his thoughts on the possible ban this weekend.
"As a small business owner or a creator, everyone has their own reasoning for being on TikTok... and losing it would be like a punch in the gut," Wade explained.
The Supreme Court voted unanimously to uphold the ban on the app unless it is sold to a non-Chinese company. The Court cited concerns that TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, poses a national security threat. However, other users, like Jay McArthur, believe the ban won’t change much.
"I don’t think this will really do anything other than make us switch apps," McArthur shared. "They can write it how they want, but what we wanted out of TikTok, we’ll find a way to get."
What users want is to feel connected—not just in any way, but through TikTok's unique algorithm.
"The best part of TikTok is actually reaching new people—reaching audiences that I’ve never been able to reach on other platforms and having other people see my content to get that exposure," Wade said.
While the ban seems imminent, Wade and McArthur told me they’re both holding out hope for the app.
"We’re going to continue to fight for as long as we can, but we’re also preparing for it to be banned," Wade noted.
"It’s discouraging, but I don’t ever let things like this get me down," McArthur said. "I let them kind of encourage or radicalize me to take action and get things done."
The ban is set to take effect on January 19th at 12:00 a.m.
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