HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — The lives of more than 170 million Americans will change if a proposed ban on the social media app TikTok goes through in January.
Monday, TikTok filed an Emergency Injunction, asking the Supreme Court to step in and protect “Americans’ right to free speech.”
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However, if nothing happens, the app will be banned in the United States on January 18.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do” Huntsville TikToker, Taylor Byrd told News 19. Byrd posts on TikTok under the username “SweetTeaTaylor.”
His account has 2.2 million followers and he’s gained more than 50 million likes on his videos. Like many other content creators, he started posting on the app during the pandemic.
“People liked the sound of a southern person talking trash, so I just stuck to my talents,” he said. He said he enjoys being able to connect with people from all over the world via the app, and that he likes to “doomscroll.”
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Byrd is also part of the TikTok Creator Fund, a function of the app that pays people who meet certain criteria for posting videos.
“I’ll tell you the tea, TikTok does pay people money,” he said.
According to TikTok, small businesses would “lose more than $1 billion in revenue and creators would suffer almost $300 million in lost earnings in just one month unless the ban is halted”.
“I do get paid from TikTok, but I use that money for fun,” Byrd said. “There are people that are on that app that use that money to feed their kids” he added.
He told News 19 that if the app is banned in the U.S. he’ll plan to pivot. Thankfully, he has a full-time job.
However, he said, “I do have friends who rely on [money from] TikTok.”
The app has faced scrutiny for years over security concerns. Now, the app faces an uncertain future, and will likely be banned in the U.S. on January 19.
“I’m going to hope for the best and hope that on January 18 at 11:59 p.m. you know whoever has the power to do so is going to be like ‘oh, just kidding,’” Byrd told News 19.
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