Detroit influencers weigh impact of TikTok ban as lawmakers explore security concerns

As debate over the potential ban of TikTok continues, U.S. lawmakers and the Biden administration are examining new legislative approaches to address concerns about the Chinese-owned app’s operations in the United States.  

Among those watching the situation closely are social media influencers and content creators, who view platforms like TikTok as integral to their business models and daily routines.

Edwin Taylor is a 23-year-old Detroit-based food critic known as “Ed Eats” on TikTok, where he has garnered more than 28,000 followers. He says the majority of his income comes from his presence on social media apps like TikTok.

‘There’s different sources of income when it comes to social media,” Taylor said. “One is being like the TikTok Creativity Program, where they pay content creators to make videos over a minute long. And then posting on social media gives you access to brands watching your videos, and now they want to reach out to you to promote their brand and their business. So they will pay you to do those type of things.”

Taylor thinks banning TikTok in the U.S. would be unfair for those like himself who use it as a business, as well as those who simply use it for entertainment.

“We keep up with trends on TikTok. We keep up with news on TikTok. Honestly, I would go to TikTok before I go to Google,” he said, adding that millions of other Americans do the same. “For even me to say that out loud, that just kind of shows how much control [the U.S. government doesn’t] have over TikTok and why they want to ban it so bad.”

More importantly, Taylor says, he thinks U.S. lawmakers have much bigger issues they should be focusing their attention on.

“There’s so much more we could be talking about,” he said.

WDET’s Jenny Sherman contributed to this report.