American TikTokkers concerned about impending ban in US | Economy

“It’s so essential for small businesses and creators. It’s my full-time job,” says 23-year-old TikTokker Ayman Chaudhary from Chicago.

She makes short videos about books on the social media platform. “It really worries me that I live in a country that would implement these kinds of bans instead of focusing on what’s really important, like gun control, health care and education.”

24-year-old Bilal Rehman from Texas also believes that the government is ignoring the consequences. Through his account he playfully promotes his company’s interior projects. His platform has about half a million followers.

“Everyone involved in deciding whether or not to ban this platform is turning a blind eye to the impact this will have on all small businesses,” Rehman said.

23-year-old influencer Awa Sanneh is also critical. “If you really understood the impact, you would want to keep TikTok.”

Experts endorse the concerns of TikTokkers. “It has become a crucial platform for many small businesses,” says marketing analyst Jasmine Enberg. “Especially companies that are in niche industries or sell idiosyncratic products.”

Damian Rollison, director of market insights at the firm SOCi, advises companies to make a contingency plan in case TikTok is banned.

President Joe Biden signed a law last week that could ban the popular app in the country. The law states, among other things, that ByteDance, the Chinese owner of TikTok, must sell its American parts.

If ByteDance doesn’t do that, TikTok could be banned in the US. The law is intended to prevent China from using the social media app for propaganda and from abusing data from American users.

The White House states that the intention is not to ban TikTok, but to force ByteDance to sell it. ByteDance’s 270-day deadline extends beyond November. “This is about our national security. These are not concerns about the use of TikTok by Americans,” a spokesperson responded.

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