The attorney general of the Biden administration, Elizabeth B. Prelogar, said that Congress has every right to pass the law, saying that the Chinese government can spy on Americans, in addition to communicating with them, through TikTok. “It’s about trying to close a vulnerability that could be exploited by a foreign enemy,” he said. Outside of court, dozens of TikTok users rallied in support of the app. Given the January 19 deadline, the court is likely to issue a decision next week—one that could have lasting consequences for the future of social media creators. If it goes into effect, it remains unclear whether, or how, President-elect Trump will implement the ban once he takes office.
“In the end I’m going to feel like I’ve lost everything,” Dunn said when I asked him about the ban. “I don’t think people see how I keep a roof over my head. It’s like people saying your company is going out of business and you can’t control it.”
In addition to product deals, Dunn participates in TikTok’s creator rewards program, which pays creators with at least 10,000 followers and 100,000 monthly views for creating original content that lasts several minutes. Between product partnerships and money made from the show, Dunn, 30, tells me he’s averaging “five months” in 2024. they are crying,” he said.
The TikTok Store, the app’s ecommerce feature, was a game-changer for small business owners when it launched in September 2023. After navigating a few early hiccups—including, of all things, snail slime—the TikTok Store proved powerful; the increase of the application in sellers has surpassed competitors such as Amazon, TikTok finally wants to return it (or at least remove the sovereignty). Beauty products and women’s clothing are often the best-selling items across the board. According to Shopify, by 2023 12 percent of TikTok Shops were based in the US, and 45 percent of Americans made purchases through TikTok Shop. By 2023, daily sales in the US increase to $7 million.
Renee McClintock, a mother of two, 29, is one of the app’s most active entrepreneurs. You name it, we’ve sold it: electrolyte packs, cotton candy machine, iPhone cases, green jeans, probiotic gummies. Last summer, a video detailing how much he made in a week—$4,764.63—went viral. McClintock declined to speak to me about the matter—he only uses paid partnerships, starting at $150, he wrote in an email—but noted that as of July, through the affiliate program, his gross merchandise volume (GMV) was $600,000.
TikTok isn’t the only platform that allows creators to make a profit, but it seems to be an exception to the rule. YouTube, Instagram, and Twitch all offer different ways for users to make money, either through ads or affiliate links. But none of them have what TikTok has, says Jon Selman, vice president of influencer marketing at BenLabs, an agency whose clients include influencers Colin Keys, Savagemomlife, and Amaury Guichon.