North Texan Matt Krath was among TikTok’s first users, joining shortly after the shutdown of the social media app Vine. His TikTok account, @Matt, now boasts 2.3 million followers. “My page really took off, especially over COVID, because I knew everyone was at home,” he said. “That’s when I decided to leave my full-time job.” Krath recalls being mocked by his former boss for choosing content creation, saying, “You’ll be back.” “This is people’s full-time job; you can make a living,” he said. Krath has supported himself and his family for years through TikTok and side gigs, gaining a large following with quirky, uplifting videos featuring his travels and tips. He dedicates hours to crafting each video, ensuring it meets his fans’ expectations. “I did a video about how to win the jackpot at the arcade for every game, and people love that,” said Krath. “I just want to encourage people to be themselves. I want to show people cool things; I want to be a resource to people.” However, the looming shutdown of TikTok, following Friday’s U.S. Supreme Court decision, has shaken him. The court ruled that TikTok’s potential susceptibility to foreign control and its vast collection of sensitive user data pose national security concerns. “It being taken away is equivalent to me losing my whole business and having to start over,” said Krath. “It’s not only my livelihood but mentally, it’s just really hard to deal with as well.” Krath rejects fears about TikTok’s security risks and questions the broader implications. “When you tell somebody they’re something and they aren’t that, but you keep telling them and telling them, they become that thing,” he said. “They have our data. The damage is done. If they weren’t going to take it before, it’s like, ‘Well, we can take it now!’” Meanwhile, Kendle Bishop, whose TikTok pages @KendleBishop and @JustKendle have over 500,000 followers, describes her brand as “riskae style and luxury.” “I originally started using TikTok because it was fun for me,” said Bishop. “I was traveling, and I just wanted to document that. Then it progressed to working with brands like Marriott and experiencing luxury hotels around the world.” For Bishop, TikTok has been an unexpected career blessing. Still, she is diversifying her online presence. “I’ve actually taken some action to move over to a new platform called RedNote, and I’ve gained over 8,000 followers within 24 to 48 hours just being on that app,” she said. “The algorithm is very easy if you can just kind of understand it, and it’s an easy transition.” However, some tech and government officials have raised concerns that RedNote may pose an even greater security threat than TikTok. Krath admits he regrets not diversifying his content earlier and focusing solely on TikTok. “This was my main business. This is where all my traction came from. This was something I built up for so long, and it being taken away is equivalent to me losing my whole business and having to start over,” he said. Now, Krath plans to seek a job while trying to establish a presence on another platform. The uncertainty has made it difficult for him to stay optimistic. “You just want to stay positive and optimistic, but it’s hard because I don’t know what’s going to happen,” he said. “I know people are going to laugh, and there’s a lot of people praying on my downfall. They don’t understand—it’s just really difficult.”