TikTok is a Chinese-owned social media site that has been a worry for American politicians since at least 2019. A ban is finally on the way.
The ban could hurt people in Iowa who use the app to run their businesses.
Maddix Stovie began her online company in 2020, when she was still in college. She kept going after she finished and got a job, which turned out to be a good idea.
Since she was put off in May 2023, she had the rare chance to work on her business full time while between full-time jobs.
Stovie now has a full-time job, and her business is just a side job, though that term might not do it credit.
“We’re on track to make six figures.” “I don’t know if we’ll make it this year, but we’re on track to make that six-figure mark next year,” Stovie said.
Stovie says that TikTok is mostly to blame for that rise.
This app brings in more than 95% of my sales.
But now Stovie is looking at other options because he doesn’t know what will happen in the future.
When January 19 comes around, TikTok will be blocked. TikTok and its parent business ByteDance asked the Supreme Court to stop the ban, but the court said no.
“Yes, that is a real worry.” Is it a problem that requires the steps they’re taking? “We can talk about that in a different way,” said Doug Jacobson, the Sunil & Sujata Gaitonde Professorship in Cybersecurity at Iowa State University.
Jacobson said that TikTok gathers information about its users just like any other social network.
TV9 asked what China can get from the TikTok info of its users.
“That is the important question.” They play a very long game, which is different from the Russians, said Jacobson.
“So they play a very long game.” Having knowledge is power. Information is power. So we don’t know what they could do with this information.
Reports say that Russians hacked into the 2016–2024 presidential polls through social media. Jacobson said that worry isn’t just about Russia.
“People are worried that ‘they could use these algorithms to steer the people in certain directions.'”
Stovie said that the ban makes things unclear for her and other small business owners, so she is looking into other choices. She’s not too worried, though.
“As for me, I’m going to wait until January 19 to see what happens.” She said, “I’ll believe it when I see it.”
On January 20, President-Elect Trump will be sworn in. He said he would “save” TikTok while running for office.
