WINTER GARDEN, Fla. — As proposed legislation to ban TikTok in the U.S. heads to the Senate, Central Florida content creators are concerned about how its removal could impact their livelihood.

What You Need To Know

  •  On Wednesday, the House passed a bill that could potentially ban TikTok in the U.S.

  •  It's now being considered in the Senate, but its future in that chamber is unclear

  •  If passed in the Senate, President Joe Biden has said he would sign it into law

  • Some lawmakers argue that the popular Chinese-based entertainment platform poses a national security threat

According to lawmakers, the Chinese company that owns TikTok could be asked to turn over data on American users to the Chinese government, which prompted the legislation.

In video posted Wednesday, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew addressed users in an attempt to clear up concern.

“Over the last few years, we have invested to keep your data safe and our platform free from outside manipulation,” he said.

But according to the Associated Press, worries from lawmakers continue as Chinese national security laws can compel organizations to assist the Chinese government with intelligence gathering.

Content creators have raised alarm over the bill, explaining that they rely on the platform for income.

Samantha Longton, a Florida-based content creator with more than 100,000 followers on TikTok, said many small businesses rely on it as well.

“It’s where people build actual businesses. It’s where they build brand awareness and their connection to their clients,” said Longton, who runs @SamanthaLongton on TikTok.

Besides running her own page, Longton said she does freelance work for many businesses in the Orlando and Winter Garden areas.

She said the process of trying to switch over marketing endeavors to a different platform can be daunting.

“It’s really hard to get people to jump from something they’re comfortable with to something they might not be, like YouTube or Instagram,” she said.

In a 2023 press release, TikTok stated that almost half of Americans use the app, and it was the preferred platform for roughly 5 million businesses.

Another Central Florida content creator said that while she was active on Instagram, she didn’t really start to see brand deals until she began cross-posting on TikTok.

“The decline in what I will be making now, should TikTok cease to exist, will affect that greatly,” said Genesis Nunez, who runs @BeerCutieAndFoodie on TikTok. 

With her TikTok account taking off, Nunez said she has made plans to step away from her typical 9-to-5 job.

“Now I’m concerned I may no longer be able to do that,” she said.

Former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said he plans to pull investors together in an attempt to purchase TikTok, which would allow the company to be owned by U.S. stakeholders.

TikTok did not respond to a request for comment to the Associated Press on his proposal.