Chicago-area content creators devastated as TikTok ban looms: 'Living paycheck to paycheck'
Local small businesses also rely on social media platform to promote themselves
CHICAGO (WLS) -- TikTok is expected to be banned Sunday after the U.S. Supreme Court decided to uphold the proposed law .
The devastation felt by the content creators ABC7 spoke to Friday is because TikTok is more than an app. They said it offers the building of community across the globe.
ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch
Chicago-area users said that opportunity is because of TikTok's unique algorithm, which allows everyone to be a creator.
"My social media has always been just an extension of what's going on in my life," TikTok creator Chase Vondran said.
With over 3.5 million likes on TikTok, Vondran, whose username is @explorewithchase, said it's more than just a social media app. It is a community and family that could soon be lost.
"It's been really inspiring to hear from folks that say, 'I took a solo trip because of you,' or, most recently, 'You know, I came out of the closet,'" Vondran said.
As a full-time content creator, Vondran said a large chunk of her income comes from the app. For millions like them, it's how they support their families.
"It's just everyday moms," TikTok creator Jessica Roe said. "We just want to empower each other, and we're able to grow followings that led to an income stream."
Roe, whose username is @thewindycitymama, said she started creating after she lost her job during the pandemic.
"I have seen countless stories," Roe said. "Living paycheck to paycheck... all of a sudden it's double our income."
RELATED | TikTok ban upheld by Supreme Court days before law takes effect
TikTok is run by a Chinese-owned company, and the U.S. ban comes as concerns have mounted around national security.
Northwestern Professor of Policy Analysis Erik Nisbet said while the Supreme Court got it right in wanting to protect user data from hostile countries, the law itself is too narrow.
"This security concern is not limited to TikTok," Nisbet said. "Our social media user data can be co-opted by other hostile governments on other platforms."
Many content creators said the ban means just getting on other Chinese-based apps, like RedNote.
"You have an issue of whack-a-mole," Nisbet said. "We have a security concern with this platform. A new platform emerges."
READ MORE | TikTok is set to be banned Sunday | Here's what it means for you
"We are going to continue to push back, and this is not okay," Vondran said.
The hope for creators is that the conversation shifts from politics to the people it impacts.
"You always hope that someday, like it could just be like you're doing something for the good of people, and not for your own pocket," Roe said.
