TikTok is set to be on the chopping block on January 19th, and that day is racing closer. The ban appears to be moving forward not only full steam ahead but with extra fuel being thrown on the fire courtesy of politicians eager to see the app gone. TikTok had one last shot at possibly being saved in the United States by taking its case to the Supreme Court, but the Court said “nah” to even hearing it. The politicians pushing hardest for the ban don’t even seem to have a presence on the app, which means they have no real understanding of what their actions are about to do to the creator economy. Hint: it’s not great. Like, “$24 billion in GDP lost because we just don’t like the clock app” levels of not great.
The app is set to be banned in the United States on January 19th, with letters already sent to Apple and Google informing the tech companies that TikTok must be removed from their app marketplaces on that day. The ban is being expedited, with politicians rushing to ensure that TikTok’s plug gets pulled without allowing it a fair judicial review. Politically, the claim is that TikTok threatens U.S. national security, even though the app’s Chinese parent company has ensured that U.S. user data stays within the United States. Supporters of the app had been holding out hope for a final chance: an appeal to the Supreme Court. But the Court’s refusal to hear the case denied TikTok that opportunity to defend itself. The precedent this sets for digital platforms moving forward is… dangerous. Politicians disliking one social media platform or another now have a precedent for banning it as quickly as possible, without giving it a chance to fight for its existence—all in the name of “national security.”
What’s perhaps most frustrating for content creators who rely on TikTok for their income is that many of the politicians leading the charge to ban the app have never even used it. Their statements about the necessity of the ban are out of touch at best and willfully ignorant of their constituents’ needs at worst. TikTok has become the primary platform where younger audiences communicate and organize. With the average age of Congress being 64, the discussion around the TikTok ban highlights the glaring generational and cultural gap between lawmakers and the app’s audience. Simply put, the politicians pushing hardest to ban TikTok don’t understand it, and rather than make an effort to learn, they’re ensuring its disappearance.
Banning TikTok is likely to backfire on the politicians advocating for it. A $24 billion GDP loss isn’t something the economy will magically recover from overnight. Losing TikTok will devastate the creator economy, including small businesses that use it for marketing and full-time creators who have built audiences of millions and rely on the platform for their income. When content creators and small business owners lose their income, the ripple effects are swift. Advertising and e-commerce will likely be hit first, and as more people lose income, they’ll tighten their spending, further straining the economy. Few industries will escape the sting of this blow to creators’ bottom lines.
For creators, the future feels uncertain and unnecessary. Thousands are about to lose their livelihoods, while many more will lose supplemental income they rely on to make ends meet. This comes at a time when underemployment and stagnant wages make survival in the U.S. increasingly difficult. Beyond the economic impact, concerns are growing about what this ban means for First Amendment rights and free speech in the digital age. TikTok has created unique opportunities for independent journalists to reach audiences where traditional media has fallen short. Creators are scrambling to establish presences on other platforms, but options are limited: YouTube isn’t creator-friendly for short-form content, and Meta’s “pay-to-play” model often buries content that doesn’t align with its interests.
Out-of-touch legislators rushing the TikTok ban will harm creators who built their brands on the app and leave a devastating economic impact unlikely to be forgotten at the polls. TikTok isn’t just a place for dancing videos—it’s a whole ecosystem. And historically speaking, disrupting ecosystems doesn’t usually end well. Without a miracle, on January 19th, the TikTok ecosystem will breathe its last in the United States.
