The unprecedented fight between Silicon Valley, Congress, and President-elect Trump could decide the fate of TikTok, the top social media platform, this week.
The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear arguments this week in a case that seeks to ban the social media giant TikTok in the United States.
Last year, Congress ruled that the Chinese company ByteDance must sell the platform to an American company by January 19th, or it will face a national ban.
We spoke with local TikTok creator Laura Van Antwerp, who launched her TikTok page and business, "Your Sober Pal," in 2019. She mentioned that the social media platform has been pivotal for marketing her business, which offers adventure retreats for women in recovery.
"I don't think I would have this business, quite frankly, if it weren't for TikTok," said Laura Van Antwerp. "And, as an early adopter, I was able to reach more people more quickly."
NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: I started my TikTok page in the fall during the height of the election season. Some of my political clips achieved a reach 100 times greater than those on other platforms.
Local marketing and public relations expert Kyle Brice was not surprised when I told him that.
"The algorithm is built to get reach. They want that viral moment. They want the content to go viral because that's what people engage with," said Estipona Group VP of Strategy Kyle Brice.
The push for a national TikTok ban began in Congress last spring with the introduction of the "Protecting Americans' Data from Foreign Adversaries Act."
A lower D.C. federal court supported the law, concluding that TikTok poses a threat to national security due to concerns over spying and the promotion of Chinese propaganda.
TikTok is appealing the law to the U.S. Supreme Court, saying it violates the First Amendment.
"Regardless of how Friday goes, nothing changes immediately. There is time to figure out a plan," said Brice.
Van Antwerp says TikTok doesn't pack the same punch as in 2019/2020.
"Back then, it was really easy to get viral. You know, I would average millions of views for my TikToks, so it was easy to grow back in those days, but I've noticed since then it's a lot harder to stand out on TikTok because it's become such a saturated platform," said Antwerp.
Bryce says all platforms are prioritizing short-form videos now, and platforms like Youtube Shorts or Instagram Reels could replace TikTok.
"If it were to get banned, my opinion is that it's going to create a vacuum, and that vacuum is going to suck users somewhere else. I don't think they're just going to stop using the internet," said Brice.Â
