Their Favorite App May Be Banned – But Some Tiktok users said that instead of panicking, they are surprised.
NBC News reported this week, citing a source close to the company, that the Biden administration is threatening a possible ban on TikTok in the US if the app’s Chinese owners refuse to sell their stake. When asked by NBC News about the threat, a handful of young users shared a similar sentiment: They’re not taking it seriously.
The online response appears to be less severe than the ban imposed by then-President Donald Trump and his administration.
“That happened a while ago,” Haley Kovtko, 19, of California, said via text message. “Not many people are talking about it, especially on the app. I haven’t seen anything about the app potentially being banned.”
It is not that some people are not giving feedback on the app. The hashtag #DontBanTikTok was viewed more than 93.2 million times, with some videos dating back to 2020 and others uploaded this week following reports of the Biden administration’s move. A spokesperson for TikTok confirmed on Friday that a handful of creators are planning an off-app protest in Washington, DC for Wednesday, hoping to take their concerns to the doorstep of the Biden administration.
But the current sentiment among users is in stark contrast to a previous proposed ban by the Trump administration. At the time, one creator said that he had “never seen so many people talking about the same thing on the app for so long.”
“I think because we were all scared at first and nothing happened, no one is taking it seriously,” Kotko said.
Jacqueline Metzger, 17, said she was “a little shocked” when she heard about the possible ban. But she said that losing TikTok would likely make way for another new platform or make an existing platform more popular, just as TikTok was overtaken by former short-form video app Vine.
“If TikTok is banned, someone or the other will come up with an alternative. There are already a lot of TikTok alternatives, like YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels,” Metzger said. “It’s everywhere, so I’m not too worried about it.”
This time, there’s even less fear among creators: Some are already moving beyond TikTok to grow their following.
“I don’t see it happening in the near- or near-term horizon, and since 2020 creators have been really smart about being on multiple platforms and doing short-form videos in multiple different places,” Mai Karovski , said the founder and CEO. Influencer marketing agency obviously. “It’s less damaging than the early 2020 story.”
He added that the vibe among users and content creators on TikTok is currently “cautiously optimistic”.
I imagine the app will be around one way or another. I don’t think it will be owned by ByteDance.
Gigi Robinson, 24, a content creator and Gen Z motivational public speaker
TikTok creator Marcus DiPaola, who has 3.8 million followers, said he saw waves of panic among creators who feared losing their platform.
DiPaola, who is known for posting videos about current events, said he has seen “countless TikToks” of creators urging followers to subscribe to their other platforms, just in case the platform disappears. In. However, DiPaola said he is among the less worried crowd of users.
“I’m on a bunch of platforms,” he said. “If Tiktok is banned, it will be a waste, but I’m not spoiled.”
Others on the app said they are not worried as they think TikTok may be sold to a US-based company, meaning it will not disappear completely.
“I’m really not worried at all,” said Gigi Robinson, 24, a content creator and Gen Z motivational public speaker.
Microsoft was in the running to acquire TikTok when Trump attempted to ban the app.
“I think the app will be around one way or another,” she said. “I don’t think it will be owned by ByteDance.”
