Montana TikTok Ban: How Influencers React to the Bill

Under a recently signed bill, the state is set to become the first to ban TikTok. The influencers who live there have a lot to lose.

Kylie Nelson wasn't worried about a possible TikTok ban when she first heard about it in the press several weeks ago. "I didn't think it was going to be a thing," said Ms. Nelson, a 30-year-old lifestyle designer in Billings, Montana, who specializes in midsize fashion content.

Everything changed this week when Governor Greg Gianforte signed a bill banning TikTok from operating in Montana. The bill represents the most significant step toward restricting TikTok in the United States, amid growing concern among federal lawmakers that the Chinese-owned app poses national security risks. Montana's ban is expected to go into effect in January 2024.

“Today, Montana is taking the most decisive step of any state to protect private data and Montana residents' sensitive personal information from being harvested by the Chinese Communist Party,” Gianforte said in a press release.

TikTok is the work to Ms. Nelson's full-time job for about a year, since quitting her fitness career to go full-on influencing. Today, she has just over 200,000 followers on the app, where she regularly posts shopping videos and GRWM (short for TikTok for "get ready with me") videos in which she dresses and puts on makeup for the day.

Losing the app would be a major financial blow for her. “Probably 70% of my revenue, from my branded offerings, comes from TikTok,” Ms Nelson said. She estimated that she made between $30,000 and $40,000 on TikTok in one year. She's also spent tens of thousands of dollars on lessons and coaching to help her grow her business on the app. These investments could be for naught if the ban goes through.

Ms. Nelson is also on Instagram, but like many creators, she's seen much bigger growth in a much shorter time on TikTok. "It's a discovery platform," she said, referring to TikTok's powerful algorithm.

Ashley and Brittany Luly expressed similar sentiments regarding the scope of the platform. The twin sisters, known as @those_drywall_chicks, have more than half a million followers on TikTok, compared to 183,000 followers on Instagram. "We basically said to our Instagram followers, you know, 'We're on TikTok now,'" Ashley said. "Our TikTok just exploded, almost overnight."

@those_drywall_chicks Montana is the first state to officially ban TikTok (starting January next year!) Follow us on Instagram if you want to see us in the future