Millions of people consume content on TikTok each day, but the future of the video app is up to debate after a bill passed last year gave the owners of the app an ultimatum.
“To take away a tool for our small and local business and our small creators would be absolutely devastating,” West Hartford content creator Kathleen Roche said.
Under the bill, Chinese-owned ByteDance has to sell TikTok or face potential ban of the app in the Untied States by Jan. 19.
Roche runs Connecticut Bucket List on TikTok, which has amassed 80,000 followers. She said a lot of her audience on TikTok are young people looking for things to do in Connecticut.
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“If it was banned, I would lose almost half of my audience,” she said.
While she has a large following on Instagram, she said her audience on TikTok is younger.
New Milford’s Addison Ruppert faces the same fate. Her account @vintagelakehouse documents her thrifting and upcycling items. She said TikTok provides an additional source of income.
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“I couldn’t imagine somehow corralling all these people and say, 'hey come follow me on something else' and expect the same support,” Ruppert said.
Ruppert has over 12,000 followers on TikTok and finds many of her customers through the app.
“Without TikTok, I don’t think I would be able to continue to delive this content to people,” she said.
On Friday, Supreme Court justices heard from TikTok’s lawyers who argue that banning the app is violation of free speech. However, legislators believe the app is a threat to national security.
As of now, the Supreme Court is leaning towards upholding the law.
