The U.S. House of Representatives voted on Wednesday to pass the so-called TikTok bill.
The bill would force TikTok’s Chinese owner to either sell the video app or have it banned in the United States. There is concern that TikTok could be collecting personal data from users and sending that data to China.
Local reporter Kayla Sullivan now makes TikTok videos to earn her primary source of income. She’s also a content creator for WISH in Indianapolis, Indiana.
“I got to collaborate with Jennifer Garner on my Instagram and TikTok, I got to meet the Jonas Brothers. I have these people who are famous,” Sullivan said. “Rachel Platten follows me on TikTok, and I got to do an interview with her and she’s amazing. All of these Grammy Award-winning people, Oscar Award-winning — I can’t believe that I have this direct line to them. So, if TikTok went away, my direct line to them would go away.”
If Tik Tok goes away, she’s worried her income will follow.
“It’s terrifying because this is my main source of income,” she says. “I get paid through brand deals on TikTok and luckily Instagram as well, so it won’t completely eliminate my income. But it will significantly impact it. I mean, I have 1.2 million followers on TikTok. That’s what I’ve earned over the last two years and now it just goes away? I can’t imagine a world where that will happen. I can’t imagine them not considering people like me who make a living off this.”
The bill now moves to the Senate.