The U.S. might prohibit the video-producing and -sharing app TikTok within a year, following a recent law signed by President Joe Biden. If this occurs, its LGBTQ+ users will lose a space for discussions among marginalized communities, and its queer content creators will lose both income and wide exposure.
According to some technology journalists, a nationwide TikTok ban will prompt developers to make similar apps where the estimated 150 million active monthly U.S. users of TikTok can move. However, this incident highlights a common problem with social media platforms: They do not always offer stable, long-term environments for influencers and their followers. As a result, both groups now have to find ways to protect the communities and income they have developed over time so that they are not completely reliant on the future of a single app.
TikTok became extremely popular after its launch in 2016, but U.S. lawmakers and intelligence officials have expressed concern that its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, might provide access to user data to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), suppress content critical of China, or disseminate pro-Chinese propaganda to users, as reported by the Associated Press. the Associated Press reported. ByteDance has denied all these allegations.
Despite this, these concerns led a bipartisan group of lawmakers and President Biden to approve a new law requiring ByteDance to divest from the app's U.S. user base and sell it to an American buyer within nine months. If ByteDance initiates negotiations to do so, the law grants them an additional 90 days to finalize the transaction.
However, ByteDance has vowed to file a lawsuit, arguing that the law is unconstitutional and that the parent company safeguards user data from the Chinese government. If this is the case, the lawsuit could delay the implementation of the legislation for several years while the courts consider the issues. Even if ByteDance loses the lawsuit, the company could alternatively choose to withdraw from the U.S. entirely rather than selling to an American buyer.
TikTok has gained immense popularity among LGBTQ+ users.
TikTok's relationship with its LGBTQ+ users is not perfect. The app has been caught suppressing content from fat, queer, and disabled creators. The Wall Street Journal uncovered that TikTok maintained a list of worldwide users who watch LGBTQ+ videos, raising concerns that such a list could be leaked to potential blackmailers. A 2021 Media Matters report found TikTok's algorithm promoting anti-LGBTQ+ content, even though some of it violated the app's hate speech policies. censoring Nevertheless, the platform has a large and active LGBTQ+ and allied user base. It is unclear how many TikTok users identify as such, but Millennials and Gen Z constitute an estimated 70% of the app's global user base, and both generations are most likely to either identify as LGBTQ+ or to support the queer community. and An estimated 23.9 million posts on TikTok are hashtagged as #LGBTQ. The app's unique hashtag, video editing, and commenting features, along with its algorithm, have created other large, special-interest communities that overlap with #LGBTQ content, such as #BlackTikTok for racial justice, #Gamer for video game enthusiasts, and #Healing for spiritual inspiration and mental health guidance.. In 2023, TikTok hashtags such as #LGBT and #Pride accumulated over 66 billion and 10 billion views respectively towards the end of 2023. Other tags like #QueerSounds and #QueerOwnedBusiness helped showcase many LGBTQ+ musicians and entrepreneurs. Some well-liked #LGBTQ videos feature neurodivergent, plus-sized, and non-white content creators who are usually not well-represented in mainstream media. These creators include performers, experts, and influencers who share their skills, diverse outlooks, and guidance with an audience that desires content from people who resemble them.TikTok showcased some of these creators in its You Belong Here hub Trailblazers campaign
during Pride Month 2023. The app's sense of community is supported by TikTok’s strong commenting community and the app’s quick edit and “Duet” features. These features allow users to promptly post reaction videos next to others' works. Many users also find the app’s “For you” algorithm very effective, as it tracks each user’s viewing time and interactions in order to suggest content tailored to their preferences. social media often gets accused of endangering people’s safety or worsening their mental health, but evidence indicates that TikTok may be improving it. A 2023 mental health survey conducted by the Trevor Project
revealed that 53% of young LGBTQ+ people of color and 45% of their white peers reported feeling safe and understood on TikTok — significantly more than those who reported feeling the same way on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Discord, Twitch, Steam, and Reddit.
The aforementioned report also referenced studies indicating that online spaces can enhance young queer people’s mental health and well-being by enabling them to explore diverse sexual orientations and gender identities, and to connect with peers and social support. reportedly The business side: How the TikTok ban might affect creators
TikTok creators have earned thousands through the app’s Creator Rewards Program, which
reportedly pays creators between $0.50 and $1 per 1,000 views — so 1 million views, for instance, might pay between $500 and $1,000. and Creators with larger followings can make hundreds or thousands of dollars through branded and sponsored videos. TikTok ad revenue sharing for creators with over 100,000 followers, an affiliate program for creators who sell products via videos or livestreams, built-in monetization tools like monetary virtual “gifts,” and a Creativity Program fund that pays creators who post longer content.
Many small-business owners in the U.S. also use Tik to advertise, especially Black and minority-owned businesses,
While according to NBC News . Creators use the app to get creative inspiration and keep up with current trends. “‘Social media Influencer’ is almost to be looked at as the new print and the new form of radio and TV advertising,” TikTok travel influencer Jensen Savannah told the Associated Press
. “It’s going to bring your dollar much farther than it is in traditional marketing.”
If TikTok is banned in the U.S. — just as it has already been in Afghanistan, India, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Senegal, and Somalia — it won’t only affect U.S. users. It will also harm international creators and businesses who depend on U.S. viewers for revenue and sales.
Former users of TikTok might move to other similar apps like YouTube Shorts, Facebook, and Instagram Reels, or potentially any new video-sharing social network that arises. It’s probable that viewers, consumers, and marketers will also transition to these new apps. However, the displaced creators will have to build their large followings and revenue streams again, and they will be under the rules and revenue programs of these platforms, which might be more limiting than TikTok’s. Whether creators use TikTok or other platforms, they should save all their video content by downloading their online videos and posting them on other video-sharing platforms. Also, they should encourage users to follow them on other platforms and gather their email for direct contact. Creators might consider making different content and collaborations through newsletters or podcasts. They may also want to sell digital products, consultations, or coaching sessions, or find other ways to earn money from memberships and subscriptions. It’s usual for users to abandon an app when it shuts down or changes policies. In 2021, Facebook’s algorithm drastically decreased the natural reach of publishers and creators, leading both to search for traffic elsewhere. In 2018, Tumblr prohibited adult content, causing adult content creators and fans to move to Twitter and other platforms that allow such content.
If these other incidents are any indication, future creators will have to consistently take precautions to get ready for such changes, or otherwise leave their work and income exposed to market and political forces. also offers Joe Biden signed a bill to prohibit TikTok, but it will impact many more people than just the app’s video creators.
Many small-business owners in the U.S. also use Tik to advertise, especially Black and minority-owned businesses, according to NBC News. Creators use the app to get creative inspiration and keep up with current trends.
“‘Social media Influencer’ is almost to be looked at as the new print and the new form of radio and TV advertising,” TikTok travel influencer Jensen Savannah told the Associated Press. “It’s going to bring your dollar much farther than it is in traditional marketing.”
If TikTok is banned in the U.S. — just as it has already been in Afghanistan, India, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Senegal, and Somalia — it won’t only affect U.S. users. It will also harm international creators and businesses who depend on U.S. viewers for revenue and sales.
TikTok’s former users could migrate to other similar apps, including YouTube Shorts, Facebook, and Instagram Reels, or possibly any new video-sharing social network that pops up. It’s likely that viewers, consumers, and marketers will also switch to these new apps too. However, the displaced creators will need to rebuild their large followings and revenue streams from scratch, and they’ll be subject to these platforms’ policies and revenue programs, which may be more restrictive than TikTok’s.
Whether content creators use TikTok or other platforms, they should back up all their video content by downloading their online videos and cross-post them to other video-sharing platforms. Additionally, they should urge users to follow them on other platforms and “own their audience” by collecting their email for a direct contact list. Content creators might want to create alternate content and collaborations via newsletters or podcasts. They may also want to sell digital products, consultations, or coaching sessions or figure out other ways to monetize memberships and subscriptions.
It’s common for users to leave an app after it shuts down or changes policies. In 2021, Facebook’s algorithm dramatically reduced the organic reach of publishers and content creators, leaving both to seek traffic elsewhere. In 2018, Tumblr banned adult content, and adult content creators and fans migrated to Twitter and other platforms that allow such content.
If these other incidents are any indication, future content creators will need to continually take precautions to prepare for such upheaval, or else leave their work and income subject to market and political forces.
