Nashville content creators brace for possible TikTok ban

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - TikTok, a popular social media app, faces a ban on Jan. 19 if the Supreme Court does not block a law that forces the app’s owner to sell.

A few Nashville social media content creators are bracing for what a TikTok ban could mean for them.

The creators said not only would it have an impact on them financially but it would also chip away at their sense of community.

Leah Bryant or @IMightBeLei on TikTok loves Nashville, but her experience in the music city was different.

“I felt that Nashville typically showcases the bachelorette capital of the nation and cowboy boots and country music but there’s so much more culture to that.”

With a TikTok following of 12,000 followers, she’s showing that TikTok certainly has a payoff.

“I quit my job six or seven months ago so I have been able to support myself,” Bryant said.

Bryant said she’s also been able to do something much more valuable.

“It has allowed me to create a social club of 500 amazing women,” Bryant said.

Another influencer, Aynsley Broom or @Aynsley_Broom on TikTok has built a large following by showcasing books, TV shows and her heritage.

“I live here in the southern states and so I don’t really get connections with Pasifika people,” Broom said. “So there’s a small community here but with TikTok, I’ve been able to connect globally.”

Broom has over 100,000 followers and said she was able to supplement her income from the app.

“I’ve been able to use some of the extra income from my platform to be able to go on this trip to be a part of my culture and help out my family that’s in Samoa and things like that,” Broom said.

Both women said TikTok provides unique opportunities that other apps don’t.

“I’ve connected with so many more people on TikTok than I have on any other platform ever,” Broom said.

While supporters of the ban cite national security concerns, Bryant believes there can be another way to address them.

“There are so many other options besides just selling or shutting the app down,” Bryant said.

WSMV4 asked both creators what they’d be losing if the app was banned and both replied community.

TikTok is set to be banned on Jan. 19, however, that doesn’t mean the video app will disappear from people’s phones or that people will risk punishment for signing in. According to National Public Radio, TikTok officials said it’s possible that when users try to open the app it could prompt a pop-up indicating the service in longer available in the country.

NPR reports that’s what happens in India, which banned the app in 2020.

Officials also said users will be able to access the app, but that it may be buggy, operate slowly or crash often, NPR said.