Minnesota business relying on TikTok worried for its future as it may ‘go dark’ this weekend
Social media platform TikTok said that it will be forced to go dark on Sunday unless the White House gives a definitive statement about its future.
The widely popular social media app cited statements shared by President Joe Biden and the Department of Justice did not provide enough clarity surrounding its standing in the United States.
It follows a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court earlier in the day, upholding a law that is set to ban the social media platform unless it breaks ties with China-based parent company, ByteDance.
The app has about 170 million users in the U.S., including many businesses that rely on the platform to connect with potential customers — like Fuzzy Loon Designs in Waite Park.
“If it wasn’t for [TikTok], we wouldn’t be here today,” Sarah Fitzgerald, co-owner of Fuzzy Loon Designs, told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS.
Fitzgerald says her videos are flashy: there’s no dancing involved, but a few have gone viral and racked up millions of views.
“I think TikTok’s authentic compared to the other platforms,” she added.
Now, with uncertainty surrounding the entity that’s propelled her business, she’s worried for the future.
“It’s been very uneasy,” Fitzgerald added. “Seeing it go away is going to be heartbreaking, to be honest.”
Fuzzy Loon Designs started on Facebook, where she says they have a solid following — but not close to their more than 300K followers on TikTok — and is hopeful for the customer base they’ve created.