The Biden administration’s solicitor general, Elizabeth B. Prelogar, argued that Congress had every right to enact a ban, saying that the Chinese government could spy on Americans, in addition to their contacts, through TikTok. “It's about trying to close off a vulnerability that a foreign nation’s adversary could exploit,” she said. Outside the courtroom, dozens of TikTok users rallied in support of the app. Given the January 19 deadline, the court is likely to make a decision next week—one that could have lasting ramifications on the future of social media for creators. If it goes into effect, it remains unclear if, or how, President-elect Trump will enforce the ban once in office.

“I would ultimately feel like I lost it all,” Dunn says when I ask him about the ban. “I don’t think people realize this is how I keep a roof over my head. It’s like people saying your company’s about to go out of business and you have zero control over it.”

In addition to brand deals, Dunn participates in TikTok’s creator rewards program, which pays creators with a minimum of 10,000 followers and 100,000 monthly views to make original minutes-long content. Between brand partnerships and money made through the program, Dunn, who is 30, tells me he averaged several “five-figure months” in 2024. “The loss of jobs and income from this is going to be far greater than the national security risks they are screaming about,” he says.

TikTok Shop, the app’s ecommerce feature, was a gamechanger for small business owners when it debuted in September 2023. After navigating a few early hiccups—which included, of all things,