The solicitor general of the Biden administration, Elizabeth B. Prelogar, argued that Congress had every right to enact a ban, saying that the Chinese government could be spying on Americans, in addition to their contacts, through on TikTok. “It’s about trying to close a weakness that could be exploited by an enemy in a foreign country,” he said. Outside the court, dozens of TikTok users are rallying to support the app. Given the January 19 deadline, the court is likely to make a decision next week—one that will have lasting consequences on the future of social media for creators. If it will be implemented, it remains unclear if, or how, the choice of president Trump enforce the ban once in the office.

“In the end I feel like I lost everything,” Dunn said when I asked him about the ban. “I don’t think people realize that this is how I keep a roof over my head. It’s like people saying your company is going out of business and you have no control over it.”

In addition to brand deals, Dunn participates in TikTok’s creator rewards program, which pays creators with a minimum of 10,000 followers and 100,000 monthly views to create original long-minute content. Between the brand partnerships and money made through the program, Dunn, who is 30, told me he’s averaging several “five-figure months” by 2024. “The loss of jobs and income from this is greater than the national security risks. they are shouting about,” he said.

TikTok Shop, the app’s ecommerce component, was a game changer for small business owners when it debuted in September 2023. After navigating some early hiccups —which includes, of all things, snail slime—TikTok Shop proved to be terrible; the app influx of vendors outperforming competitors like Amazon, which TikTok wants to replace (or at least dethrone). Women’s beauty and apparel products are consistently top-selling items across the platform. According to Shopifyin 2023 12 percent of TikTok Shops will be based in the US, with 45 percent of Americans who have purchased through the TikTok Shop. In 2023daily sales in the US topped $7 million.

Renee McClintock, a 29-year-old mother of two, is one of the most powerful app entrepreneurs. You name it, he sells it: electrolyte packs, a cotton candy machine, iPhone cases, blue jeans, vaginal probiotic gummies. Last summer, a video detailing how much he made in one week—$4,764.63—went viral. McClintock declined to speak with me for this story—he only pays for collaborations, starting at $150, he wrote in an email—but noted that since July, through the affiliate program, his gross sales volume is $600,000. .

TikTok is not the only platform that allows creators to make money, but it seems to be an exception to the rule. YouTube, Instagram, and Twitch all provide different ways for users to make money, either through ads or affiliate links. But none of them have TikTok, says Jon Selman, vice president of influencer marketing at BenLabs, an agency whose clients include influencers. Colin Keys, Savagemomlifeand Amaury Guichon.