Social media influencing has become a rapidly growing trend over the past couple of years. Many hope to become influencers or follow influencers’ lives as it can be entertaining and intriguing to see a job experience differing from the common nine-to-five route.
Recently, news has been circulating about how TikTok could be banned in the U.S. On March 13, The United States House of Representatives voted on a measure that ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, would either have to sell TikTok within six months or lose access to the U.S. This notion was passed 352-65. The next action item is to be voted on by the Senate. Then, the measure would be passed to President Biden, who recently stated he would sign the bill. This has been a conversation for over a year and could span much longer, as the Senate Commerce Committee could take some time to act in court.
Many have suggested that a bill should be passed to ban the use of TikTok in the U.S. for various reasons. Firstly, lawmakers and regulators are concerned that ByteDance may provide sensitive data to China.
On the other hand, critics of this bill state that it violates the First Amendment rights of American citizens by banning an app that allows them to both speak freely and receive information. This ban could ultimately change the lives of how influencers generate income and create content, while also shifting the entertainment industry as a whole.
What will happen if this ban is enacted? TikTok would be unavailable for United States citizens to access. Content creators and small businesses on the app could go through some drastic changes. According to data from Statista, there are over 100,000 successful content creators on the app, where approximately 9,000 creators have over 1 million followers. These influencers usually receive payment through TikTok’s creator fund, which pays between $0.02-$0.04 for every 1,000 views. This fund has allowed many creators to utilize TikTok as their first full-time jobs as thousands have been able to make their living by posting daily videos on the platform.
Many creators have spoken out about what they would do if this ban becomes a reality within the next year. On TikTok, influencers including @carlyweinstein1 and @lisettecalv have discussed the reality of this ban for influencers on the platform. Weinstein reflected that she would be “jobless if the app gets deleted,” but stays hopeful that her content on Instagram and her podcast will reach her viewers. Alongside Carly, Lissette Calveiro, an influencer marketing consultant on the app reflects on what influencers should do if this happens to be the case. Calveiro states, “You can’t put all of your eggs into one basket for social media platforms,” meaning that influencers need to take advantage of creating curated content on a multitude of platforms to grow and reach particular audiences. She also says it’s important to have conversations with brands you’re partnering with to secure brand deals. This is of utmost importance, as Calveiro explains that changes to partnerships would need to be made to maintain impact and payment arrangements. The last piece of advice she gives is to simply “hang tight, it’s out of our control. If TikTok leaves, we will find somewhere else to go.”