LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – Tuesday night, the Senate passed a bill that could ban TikTok in the U.S.
It was the final hurdle before going to President Biden’s desk, where he is expected to sign it. Once he does, it starts a 270-day clock for the app’s Chinese parent company, Bytedance, to sell it.
Those behind the bill say it is to safeguard Americans’ personal information from the Chinese government.
Bytedance says forcing the sale is a violation of First Amendment rights. They’re expected to challenge the bill in court.
After the vote, FOX5 spoke with a local content creator who says she cannot imagine life without TikTok but is preparing now in case the social media platform is shut down. Sophia Cerda makes her living off of TikTok by helping to record and post videos for social media influencers and local small businesses.
“It is different from Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. TikTok is definitely better in terms of reaching a wider audience and giving people with no followers a chance to really show what they have,” Cerda explained. Cerda has been using TikTok since 2020, not just for her job, but in many aspects of her life.
“I hate to be so Gen Z about it, but it is just a different vibe. Through TikTok I was able to find so many restaurants. I am vegan and so I was able to find places around Las Vegas that offer vegan options, just find really unique things to do around town,” Cerda revealed. For now, Cerda can still make TikTok videos, but like TikTokers across the country, she is changing how she operates in case the ban does result in the social media platform being taken down in the US.
“Obviously, I am upset about the ban in general just because it means that for my clients, for myself, for everyone in the creator community, that means that we need to shift, and we need to focus more on different platforms. Banning TikTok is taking away the voice of so many businesses to be able to market themselves,” Cerda contended.
As for Nevada’s congressional delegation, all four House representatives along with both senators voted in favor of the TikTok ban. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto shared this statement Tuesday night:
“TikTok’s ties to the Chinese Communist Party pose a serious national security threat. I support the legislation to require TikTok’s parent company to sell the app, which would get American users’ valuable data out of the hands of the Chinese Communist Party.”
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