TikTok content creators are faced with threats such as miseducation as the platform nears its possible banning in the U.S.
In addition, creators also predict that the ban will cause significant drawbacks to information accessibility, given that the platform has been a home for tackling various topics.
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Content Creators Share Worries Amid Looming TikTok Ban
Ms. James, a public school teacher, started her TikTok account in the middle of the pandemic as an effort to make her students watch the assigned grammar lessons. "In a day, I had one thousand followers, in a week I had ten thousand, and in six weeks I had one hundred thousand followers," she shared with Reuters.
The educator now has 5.8 million followers on her account wherein her lectures are being used by students from elementary school to college with the majority of them being English as a Second Language (ESL) students from the Philippines and homeschooled students.
In addition, Dr. Anthony Youn, known for his educational TikTok videos on plastic surgery, expressed that the ban would bear significant drawbacks on information accessibility.
"There's a huge segment of TikTok where you get your news, so it's about being educated," he shared.
Content Creators Believe TikTok Ban Cares Less About User Protection
Last week, the U.S. House advanced the case by passing a bill that would force TikTok to separate from its China-based parent company, ByteDance. According to the government, the platform poses as a national risk due to its alleged connection with China.
The issue started after there were reports about the Chinese national security laws requiring organizations to assist with intelligence gathering.
However, content creators in the U.S. believe that the ban is not focused on protecting user data but rather more on denying consumers informative content.
"When you talk about the ban, you are talking about taking access to high-quality educational videos away from people who have used it to enhance their education," Ms. James shared.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew has then promised that the company will continue advocating and exercising its legal rights to protect its consumers.
Related Article: U.S. House Passes Bill, Pushes TikTok's Looming Ban Fate to Senate
