Is time running out for TikTok in the United States?

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) - Thursday, lawmakers expressed concerns about how the Chinese government could use TikTok to acquire American users’ personal information as they grilled the popular social media app’s CEO, Shou Chew, during hearings.

While the app’s future may be uncertain, one South Dakota TikToker uses the social media platform as a full-time job.

“It’s super scary you know. We have, I have a very large team, and primarily, most of them are on TikTok. Some of them are on other platforms but mostly TikTok platform itself is easy accessible,” said TikToker Lana Barber, CEO of Copper Sunset Reveal.

In his appearance before Congress, Chew faced criticism over the company’s use of personal information and privacy and security.

In response, Chew stated there are more than 150 million Americans who “love our platform, and we know we have a responsibility to protect them, we will firewall, protect the U.S. data from unwanted foreign access.”

However, a potential ban of the app could push e-commerce business owners from TikTok to other social media platforms.

“We’ve only been on TikTok for about the last year and a half. Prior to that, it was mainly Facebook. We’re branching out to other apps, Instagram, the Clapper app. Some of these other apps that are up and coming covers a lot like TikTok so we’ve been kind of preparing,” said Barber.

Congress and some states, including South Dakota, have banned TikTok on government devices. For now, the app is not universally banned in the U.S.

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