NORTHLAKE, Texas — TikTok resumed service in the United States on Sunday following a 14-hour shutdown, leaving millions of content creators uncertain about their financial futures.
The social media platform took itself offline in the United States, despite the Biden administration stepping back from enforcing the ban, deferring the decision to the incoming Trump administration.
“It’s really a roller coaster ride. I don’t know how I should feel. I don’t know if I should feel happy,” said Matt Krath, a full-time content creator from Northlake who has built a following of 2.3 million on the platform.
Krath, who transitioned to creating content full-time in 2020. “I decided to make it my full-time job because it started to make me more money than my actual job did,” he told WFAA.
Now, the platform responsible for his livelihood faces an uncertain future.
The shutdown follows legislation passed last year requiring TikTok to sever ties with its Chinese parent company or face a U.S. ban. While the service has been restored, both Apple and Google continue to block new downloads from their app stores at this time.
“It just being taken away, it’s like losing something you’re really passionate about,” Krath said, adding that he’s actively seeking alternative employment. “I need to provide…I’ve definitely been doing a lot of job searching.”
For creators like Krath, who rely on TikTok for their livelihood, the platform’s instability poses real concerns. “I know people laugh at us and make fun of us and say get a real job,” he said. “I know it’s not traditional, but it’s definitely a real job, and to lose something like this is a really big deal.”
While TikTok’s immediate future appears secure, the uncertainty has left many full-time creators preparing for potential alternatives. “I still don’t know how much longer we have,” Krath said.