US TikTok creators warn of economic impact

NEW YORK: Alex Pearlman shut the door on dreams of a standup comedy career almost a decade ago, pivoting from the stage to an office cubicle where he worked a customer service job. Then he started posting random jokes and commentary about pop culture and politics on TikTok. Just over 2.5 million followers later, he quit his nine-to-five and recently booked his first nationwide tour.

Pearlman is among the many TikTok creators across the US outraged over a bipartisan bill passed by the House of Representatives on Wednesday that would lead to a nationwide ban of the popular video app if its China-based owner, ByteDance, doesn't sell its stake. The bill still needs to go through the Senate, where its prospects are unclear.

Content creators say a ban would hurt countless people and businesses that rely on TikTok for a significant portion of their income, while also arguing TikTok has become an unrivaled platform for dialogue and community.


TikTok, which launched in 2016, has skyrocketed in popularity, growing faster than Instagram, YouTube or Facebook. The push to remove the app from Chinese authority follows concerns from lawmakers, law enforcement and intelligence officials about the insecurity of user data, potential suppression of content unfavorable to the Chinese government and the possibility that the platform could boost pro-Beijing propaganda, all of which TikTok denies.

To date, the US government hasn't provided any evidence showing TikTok shared US user data with Chinese authorities. The move comes as the pandemic saw huge growth in digital marketing as people were stuck at home consuming - and creating - content at levels not seen before. Jensen Savannah, a 29-year-old from Charlotte, began making TikToks of her travels around the Carolinas during the pandemic. Now a full-time influencer, she has tripled her income since leaving her telecommunications sales job. "Social media Influencer is almost to be looked at as the new print and the new form of radio and TV advertising," she said. "It's going to bring your dollar much farther than it is in traditional marketing."

Some creators describe it as a digital equalizer of sorts, providing a platform for people of color and other marginalised groups to get opportunities and exposure. Joshua Dairen, a Black, 30-year-old content creator in Auburn, Alabama, thinks banning TikTok sets "a dangerous precedent about how much power our highest levels of government can wield." Others say the app is both a financial and social safety net.

Almost since its inception, concerns have been raised about the addictive nature of the app, especially for young audiences whose minds are still developing.

Marcus Bridgewater, a former private school teacher and administrator who owns his own business and posts TikTok gardening videos, wants Congress to be focused on those issues, and not whether the app is Chinese-owned.