Some New Jersey business owners are eagerly waiting to see if TikTok, the popular social media app, will be banned in the United States. The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments about national security and ownership from TikTok’s lawyers on Friday.
A law that was passed in April would cause the Chinese-owned app to go dark in the U.S. on Jan. 19.
Some local business owners say TikTok has helped them reach new customers and promote themselves in a cost-effective way.
“The ban on TikTok wouldn’t just affect us as a small business, it really affects all small businesses across the country,” said Alex Berkowitz, owner of The Bagel Nook.
The Freehold bagel shop is known for its viral pumpkin and heart-shaped bagel videos for Halloween and Valentine’s Day.
While Berkowitz said a TikTok ban would impact their marketing strategy, he’s confident that they can deal with any challenges and continue to build their business.
“TikTok’s been great for us. It has an extremely great algorithm. It’s very neutral, which we love because it’s fair game for everybody,” Berkowitz says.
Like Berkowitz, Matt Cangialosi, the owner of Jersey Freeze, is grateful for the following they have on Instagram and Facebook if TikTok were to be banned.
“We would definitely see a drop-off, maybe with the younger generation, in terms of engagement, brand awareness and future customers that learn about Jersey Freeze,” said Cangialosi.
The only way people in America would be able to continue to use TikTok is if it’s sold by its Chinese parent company.
President-elect Donald Trump has filed court documents requesting for the Supreme Court to hold off and allow him to negotiate the sale of the video-sharing app once he takes office.
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