NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — With TikTok facing a possible nationwide ban effective this Sunday, Nashville content creators face an uncertain future.
On Friday, the Supreme Court rejected a free speech challenge filed by TikTok’s owners, meaning the platform could be banned on Sunday, Jan. 19.
The decision has left some Nashville content creators searching for a new action plan.
“So many of us have spent so long creating and building this arsenal of ‘a’ content, ‘b’ of community, and the fact that it could just go away and ruin so many people’s livelihoods is extremely scary,” said Ashley Houston, a content creator in Nashville.
“I have no idea what type of income is going to be immediately impacted,” expressed Tyler Williams, another Nashville-based content creator. “Can I do this anymore, or do I have to give up on my dream?'”
Houston told News 2 that the back-and-forth discussions over TikTok’s future have been a constant source of stress. She added that Friday’s announcement has pushed her to start downloading her old videos and shifting her focus to other apps.
Meanwhile, Williams said the app is not just a hobby — it’s his livelihood.
“Even if you could, what you replicate is the five years that it took me to build the following that I did and to be able to make the income that I was; Instead, I am starting from scratch,” Williams said.
Since its popularity in 2019, TikTok has been the app that encouraged dancing, inspired content creator houses, introduced new music to the charts and brought communities together.
“That little quote that is a TikTok quote that is like ‘In the club we all fam,’ it is genuinely like that though,” Houston said.
“At that time when I was starting, there was no better definition of the American dream than TikTok because it gave everyday people an opportunity,” Williams explained.
House Representative Antonio Parkinson of Memphis told News 2 that while the future of TikTok is unclear, he feels an American buyer will come through, saving the app and people’s livelihoods.
“I believe that they are going to find a way to find an American company or individual to purchase whatever you know amount of the company or purchase the company outright itself and keep the company going,” Parkinson explained.
“TikTok has actually become part of our economy,” he added. “You know there are people that are making money off of TikTok. Also, you know a lot of people receive education and tidbits through some of these videos.”
President-elect Donald Trump has said he’ll “save” TikTok, but it’s unclear what he’ll do.
“For now, I am just kind of riding the wave and just seeing what is going to happen and making plans,” Houston concluded. “I think the main thing is to make sure you are active on all different forms of platforms.”
