TikTok influencers from around the world have reacted to the US ban, while more American users shared their heartbreak at the Supreme Court bombing.
The China-based video app has officially shut down its services to 170 million American TikTokers after the Supreme Court allowed the ban in a shock ruling on Friday.
And while many American influencers have continued to mourn the loss of their followers, incomes and livelihoods, other users around the world have uploaded humorous memes making light of the ban.
A video titled 'British creators use TikTok when it's banned in the US' shows British soldiers marching victoriously and waving their country's flag.
In another joke, a man is seen dancing and singing “look at me” in light of the US ban.
A third video titled “going to sleep tonight knowing the US won't be there tomorrow” shows a woman pretending to cry herself to sleep with a humorous sobbing sound.
Meanwhile, those in the US shed more tears last night in the lead-up to the ban, with some claiming they have been deprived of their entire livelihoods.
Emily Senn, who had 348,000 followers on the app, uploaded an emotional clip revealing how the platform helped her lose her job and get divorced.
TikTokers are making fun of the US TikTok ban, suggesting British influencers will benefit
People took to TikTok to joke about the US ban affecting 170 million US users
TikToker Robert Brenton posted a video titled 'British after TikTok ban in US', in which he happily danced
Those in the US shed more tears last night ahead of the ban, with some claiming their entire livelihoods have been taken away from them
“To the U.S. government: I will never forgive you for this,” she said.
“And I will never trust you again because you just took away the income and livelihood of millions of people. Who does that?'
She added, “I feel so stupid coming on the internet and crying over an app, but the fact is that this has been a community feeling for me for years, and it has gotten me through very, very hard times in my life helped. .
“The pandemic, losing my job, all of that. Getting divorced, all these things that have happened to me in the last five years since I've been here. I've put hours and hours and hours into making things for this platform.'
Another influencer, who goes by the username “chloebuffcakes” and has 2.5 million followers, posted a tearful video mourning the loss of the platform.
“I'm not crying, I'm just watching the life and community I built being torn down,” she said.
'An app that has given millions of women financial independence and supported seven million small businesses. Where I shared that I lost my mother to brain cancer and became financially able to raise my seven-year-old sister.'
The court ruled Friday after TikTok argued that a law banning the popular video streaming app violates users' First Amendment rights.
“We conclude that the challenged provisions do not violate petitioners' First Amendment rights,” the nation's highest court wrote in its ruling, reaffirming an appeals court ruling.
Earlier this year, Congress passed a law banning TikTok unless its Chinese parent company ByteDance sells its shares before January 19, 2025. But after months no deal was reached.
A video titled “going to sleep tonight knowing the US won't be there tomorrow” shows a woman pretending to cry herself to sleep with a humorous sobbing sound
US influencers posted tearful clips discussing the loss of the beloved video app
Emily Senn, who had 348,000 followers on the app, uploaded an emotional clip revealing how the platform helped her lose her job and get divorced
About 170 million Americans use the video app, and some warned that banning the platform would disrupt the businesses and livelihoods of millions of people.
The fate of the platform now depends on an intervention by new President Donald Trump.
Responding to rumors of a TikTok ban in Britain, Treasury Principal Secretary Darren Jones, speaking to the BBC on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, said: “We always consider all these technology issues, whether it's the national security or data privacy.
“We have laws and processes to do that. We currently have no plans to ban TikTok from the UK.
“So we will not follow the same path that the Americans have followed unless or until at some point in the future there is a threat that we are concerned about in the British interest.”
It was then that Mr Jones suggested a review could be carried out.
'For example, we have not been allowed to use TikTok on government devices for years. The last Conservative government took the same position because there is sensitive information on those devices,” he said.
“But for consumers who want to post videos of their cats or dancing, I don't think that is a threat to national security.”
