RICHMOND, Va. — The TikTok ban set to take effect this Sunday in the U.S. is a topic on the minds of millions of Americans who use the social media app for both business and fun.
Megan Ariail, who runs "The West End Mom" TikTok and Instagram accounts, started building her audience of 13,000 followers on TikTok in 2021.
The mother of two works with Virginia businesses to curate brand deals, and she shares videos on the app with tips and activities for families to enjoy across the Commonwealth.
"I've had a lot of parents reach out to me and share, especially even the dads, that they had paternity leave and they didn't feel like they were on their own," Ariail explained. "They didn't feel silly asking questions because I put all that information right in my caption, or it's in my video. So I feel like it's a very empowering resource."
With the fate of TikTok hanging in the balance, Ariail says she and so many other Richmond-based creators are trying to figure out where to move their audiences.
"I feel like on TikTok, you don't have to be as curated; it doesn't have to be as polished," Ariail explained. "You can kind of throw it up there. On Instagram, I definitely have to edit, curate, and work a lot more to piece together my visuals. So that's a learning curve. So people who have relied on this as their full-time income are going to have a huge learning curve switching platforms."
Since "The West End Mom" has a substantial following on Instagram of more than 83,000 followers, Ariail says she will still be able to profit from that.
However, TikTok has become a space where she’s been able to pitch brand deals because she says the reach from the app can often be much larger than the reach on Instagram.
"TikTok is such a powerful tool, and you know, you have your nine to five, but then you can have a side job and leave your other job because of financial security," the former teacher-turned-creator explained.
Ariail says she knows several other Richmond creators who rely on TikTok as a full-time job, so she is fearful for their futures.
"A lot of the TikTok creators and the small businesses who have large followings on TikTok get revenue there," said Ariail. "It's uncertainty, you know, where should we move to? Where do we need to go to connect with our community?"
Will TikTok actually be banned?
There is still a little hope the app won’t disappear in the United States.
A government official said Thursday that President Joe Biden won’t enforce the TikTok ban, leaving its fate in the hands of President-elect Donald Trump, who has voiced support for saving TikTok.
Congress last year, in a law signed by Biden, required that TikTok's China-based parent company, ByteDance, divest the company by Jan. 19, a day before the presidential inauguration.
The official said the outgoing administration was leaving the implementation of the law—and the potential enforcement of the ban—to Trump.
Trump, who once called to ban the app, has since pledged to keep it available in the U.S., though his transition team has not said how they intend to accomplish that.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is expected to attend Trump’s inauguration and be granted a prime seating location on the dais as the president-elect's national security adviser signals that the incoming administration may take steps to "keep TikTok from going dark."
Incoming national security adviser Mike Waltz on Thursday told Fox News Channel's “Fox & Friends” that the federal law that could ban TikTok by Sunday also “allows for an extension as long as a viable deal is on the table.”
The push to save TikTok, much like the move to ban it in the U.S., has crossed partisan lines.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said he spoke with Biden on Thursday to advocate for extending the deadline to ban TikTok.
“It’s clear that more time is needed to find an American buyer and not disrupt the lives and livelihoods of millions of Americans, of so many influencers who have built up a good network of followers,” Schumer said Thursday on the Senate floor.
Democrats tried on Wednesday to pass legislation that would have extended the deadline, but Republican Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas blocked it.
Cotton, chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said that TikTok has had ample time to find a buyer.
“TikTok is a Chinese Communist spy app that addicts our kids, harvests their data, targets them with harmful and manipulative content, and spreads communist propaganda,” Cotton said.
While Ariail says she doesn’t care about the politics behind banning the app, she hopes U.S. leaders will consider the good it provides for so many Americans.
"To really look at it from how it is able to help individuals," she shared. "You can connect with people. You can laugh. It's just a really beautiful space to share information, especially in real time. I am hopeful that either there'll be an extension or there'll be some sort of resolution to this. But I think there's a lot of uncertainty."
— The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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