Three local TikTok influencers react to impending ban of social media site

(ABC 6 News) – In a vote on Wednesday the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill that would ban TikTok in the U.S. if the parent company, based out of China, doesn’t sell the app.

And now, local TikTok influencers are speaking up as they react to the news. Its this very platform that famous Tiktokers made a name for themselves and they have mixed feelings on the potential ban.

For around 170 million Americans, TikTok is an app many use daily. Whether it’s for learning, entertainment or even content creation it’s certainly made an impact on the nation.

“I really think that we’d be losing out on so many opportunities for so many people,” said Sierra Diller, who grew up in Kasson, Minn. She has since gone viral on TikTok, following her decision to amputate her foot. “It’s just bringing complete strangers together to be able to share common opinions or learn things from one another.”

The U.S. House of Representatives has followed through on long-standing promises to ban the social media app due to security concerns on privacy data being sold. Some who have had their moment, or moments, of fame on the app are taking time to reflect what a future without could mean.

“I just don’t have any fear about losing it, to be honest,” said Dr. Grant Collins of Collins Orthodontist. His TikTok account, That Braces Guy, has more than 4.7 million followers and life without TikTok is nothing he is wasting time worrying about. “I just, I know we’ll be good.”

But for others like Eddie Swartzentruber, who documents his former life living amongst the Amish on TikTok, it’s an overreach by the federal government and people’s First Amendment rights.

“They talk about China having all your information and how scary it is,” said Swartzentruber. “When, in all reality, I don’t trust really huge companies to already share that information, so I don’t know what the difference is.”

While that ban hangs in the air, all three content creators agree it’s benefitted many, for different reasons.

“TikTok does have a special place in my heart. It’s been really something that we use to reach a lot of people, help a lot of people. Bring awareness to braces, orthodontists and the whole culture that we have here,” said Collins.

“I’ve had a lot of people who comment on a video or send me a message who will tell me that they have never heard about the Amish community. Obviously, if it wasn’t for TikTok, they wouldn’t learned about the Amish community,” added Swartzentruber.

“So, I am able to teach people my things that I have learned through my amputation process because of how the communities can be discovered,” said Diller.

So if you scroll to learn to laugh or just to past the time, all we can do for now is wait until the U.S. Senate passes it through committee and onto the Senate Floor for a vote.

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