Is TikTok Dead?

ByteDance, Senators, and the TikTok Tug-of-War

So we might be losing TikTok here in North America, to be specific and this potential ban has been going on for some time, but it’s looking real now. And before I get into a discussion, let me inform you just in case you are not aware that today, March 13th the House of Representatives of the United States has officially passed this bill to ban the platform. It is vital to mention that it was introduced with bipartisan support. My comment on this is how angry it makes me that they would get “together” on this but not pass important bills that could benefit the country better.

It just happened this morning.

This isn’t just about losing a platform that literally helped us go through the pandemic and taught us everything from how to better clean our houses, and understand mental health issues, to the art of political satire in 60 seconds and the creation of millions of new jobs. Nothing is perfect because it has a lot of downfalls like any other platform and that’s another story. This is a saga with far-reaching consequences for creators, small businesses that were about to close or never had any business because they couldn’t logically compete with the giants in their cities, and the introduction of Keith Lee and Reesa Teesa to this world.

I’ll just give you one example when Keith Lee asked his audience and community to come out and support the Dynamite Korean, Sushi, Grill restaurant after the owner Jong Park passed away on December 27th so Keith asked everyone to go to the restaurant on December 31st to support and he was going to also be there for a few hours. He also clarified that the lines might take a few hours so that everyone should be prepared and no one cared. People were saying that they waited 3–4 hours just like you wait for concerts to enter the stadium. The support was overwhelming for the family who owned the restaurant and the legacy of this wonderful man who wanted nothing more than to feed people will remain.

All thanks to the platform, delicious food, good people, and a dream.

Millions of creators turned their passions and art into paychecks, something that was way more difficult to achieve before. It’s still not easy, but it provides a space to share and communicate. Now, they are staring down the barrel of losing their main income source. People would say, “Oh, just move to Meta” but here’s my issue: all of this seems so intentional, it’s crazy.

Are you scared that China could have some kind of power over us through TikTok?

Please, I’m convinced that they are already doing this without us even noticing. It’s crazy and scary but it's true. Coming from a Communist country. I understand how these things are done.

Beneath the surface of this drama, there’s a plot twist worthy of a telenovela. There are some senators leading this fight, yet curiously engaged in trading stocks from Meta, TikTok’s rival. You can see it for yourself in the screenshot below and google their names and their stand on all of this.

Coincidence? I’ll leave that to you.

Some smart people would even call this market manipulation, but I’ll stay here just watching and waiting patiently.

TikTok isn’t just a pastime even though we do fall into its magic for hours on end — myself included.

It’s a vibrant marketplace where creativity meets opportunity. For small businesses, TikTok has been a launchpad to freedom and sustainability. The app’s unique algorithm has a way of turning a local donut shop into a nationwide phenomenon overnight — look at the example of the one in Las Vegas owned by Alexandra Lourdes and her partner.

We don’t know what will happen, but everyone should start getting ready for the good and the bad. This is the 21st century; people should be smart and see beyond the red tape. As the battle lines are drawn, one thing is clear: we need to use our voices and this is why I’m writing about it. The outcome will shape the digital landscape for years to come, Meta will continue to have more power than what it already has, and the public will remain being used as pawns in this invisible war.

What do you think?