(NewsNation) — The House on Wednesday approved a bill that would ban TikTok in the U.S. if Chinese parent company ByteDance doesn’t sell the social media app.
TikTok’s fate now lies in the hands of the Senate, especially after President Joe Biden said Friday he would sign the bill if it passes Congress.
If the bill becomes law, it could leave thousands of influencers who depend on the site for business and side hustles in limbo.
TikTok content creator and influencer Amber Estenson, known as “That Midwestern Mom,” said if the bill is signed into law, she will lose access to her millions of followers.
“I’d lose a million people who watch me every day and it’s not just Americans, it’s people all over the world. I’d lose a community that I have created over the past three to four years. I’d lose access to the ability to talk to a million people,” she said.
Estenson began her TikTok journey back in March 2021, sharing her favorite way to make Minnesota salads. After a few posts, TikTok users lost their minds over Estenson’s marshmallow salad.
But while the ban would hurt her bottom line, she said she’s more concerned about the community that was built on the platform and the friendships that were curated through the years. She also worries about all the opportunities that will be lost if the door is forced closed.
Many TikTok creators have started to diversify to other social media apps once the news of a potential TikTok ban came to fruition. However, Estenson said she’d prefer to stay where it all started for her: on TikTok.
“It’s my home. It’s where everything happens for me. It’s a place where you can come as you are,” she said. “It would be devastating.”
