'It's horrifying': Oklahoma content creators react to possible TikTok ban
Jan 15, 2025
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — We are days away from a possible TikTok ban in the United States.
If the Supreme Court doesn't intervene before Sunday, the popular app will be shutdown.
For millions of Americans, TikTok is more than an app, it's a business, a creative outlet and for some it's their full time job.
If the platform is banned, many fear the impact will be devastating especially for small businesses and creators in Oklahoma.
Padiano's Kitchen is a small Oklahoma business that relies on TikTok.
"Without TikTok, our business would not exist, TikTok is the reason we are here. That is our main primary source of income, that's how we pay our employees, that's how we pay our suppliers," said Paden Ferguson, CEO of Padiano's Kitchen.
Ferguson says TikTok's unique shopping feature allows him to sell products directly through videos, something he says other platforms can't replicate.
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"The next question is trying to figure out a retail space, which we're continuing to grow in retail, but without the income coming from TikTok, that's extremely challenging, it would likely be insurmountable, so likely a TikTok ban would result in our small business closing," said Ferguson.
Emily Phillips is an influencer based in Oklahoma City who has built a large following with local food, travel and lifestyle content.
"I am in denial, but obviously it's horrifying," said Phillips
While the ban is concerning to her, she has other platforms to use.
"My main source of income is Instagram and then user-generated content where brands use that for their pages, so luckily I've diversified enough to feel safe, but it's a blow, it's a huge platform for me," said Phillips.
The U.S. government cites national security concerns and the main reason for the potential ban as TikTok's parent company is based in China.
"I mean what concerns me is my income, this economy, that's what concerns me, to be honest with you and that is a real threat," said Phillips.
A possible TikTok ban is just days away. A list of other apps available
A senator in Massachusetts introduced a bill to extend the deadline for the ban by 270 days.
Ferguson is asking Oklahoma's U.S. Senators Markwayne Mullin and James Lankford to support it.
News 4 reached out to both offices, but they were unavailable for comment.
Senator Mullin spoke about it in the past.
"If they are going to do business in the United States, they can't be partners with the Chinese communist party," said Mullin.
Senator Lankford has addressed it as well.
"It is a major national security issue when the Chinese communist party controls what many Americans see every day," said Senator Lankford.
Under the law, if ByteDance doesn't sell TikTok U.S. operations by Sunday the app will be banned.
However, it doesn't mean TikTok will disappear from your phone, you just won't be able to get updates to the app and eventually it would stop working,
We are still waiting for the court to issue an opinion, which is leaving creators anxiously waiting.