TikTok’s sudden ban was a wake-up call to all of the creators and businesses relying on it. It exposed the risk of losing everything overnight.

The recent rollercoaster surrounding TikTok's ban (and subsequent unban) has sparked uproar across the platform and beyond.

In December, a new law introduced by the US federal court put TikTok at risk of being banned. Then, towards the end of the month, President Trump urged the Supreme Court to delay the potential ban until he could reach a “political resolution” on the matter.

On January 17th, the Supreme Court upheld the law, effectively banning TikTok unless it was sold by its parent company, ByteDance. The ban was meant to take effect just two days later.

However, hours before the ban was set to go live, TikTok users in the United States were locked out of the platform, and met by a message saying: “Unfortunately, you can’t use TikTok for now,” in reference to the law.

The app was also removed from major app stores, including those operated by Apple and Google, while the TikTok website displayed a message saying the platform was no longer available.

Just 12 hours later, Americans were back online, and able to resume using TikTok. This brief yet intense interruption served as a wake-up call for influencers and businesses that rely on the platform. Many who use TikTok to promote their products, services, and shops realised the impact of a potential permanent ban. For influencers whose main income comes from TikTok, the possibility of losing access to their audience was a significant concern.

During this temporary ban, many users flocked to other platforms like Instagram, using Reels, or even exploring new options like RedNote, a Chinese-owned platform with a similar interface to TikTok. These sudden moves created confusion as users scrambled to find the best platform to follow their favourite creators, resulting in a chaotic 12-hour period. Some influencers even attempted to bypass the ban using VPNs, though they risked legal repercussions by doing so.

Interestingly, many users shared personal confessions or secrets during this time, posting impulsively about actions or topics that might have caused them backlash in the past. When TikTok returned, some of these posts led to further criticism.

Some of our favourites being:

The Duolingo owl is someone called Mark

Kaeli Mae didn’t use her special ice cubes

Mackenzie Ziegler’s Dance Moms interviews were scripted

As the ban neared, emotions ran high. For many, TikTok had seriously impacted their lives, and the uncertainty about its future left users feeling confused and anxious. The absence of American users was noticeable, creating a strange, almost empty atmosphere on the platform. However, British creators saw a slight rise in engagement, likely due to there not being any US users being online.

It's important to remember that the ban is still technically in effect, and the threat of being unable to use TikTok again looms ahead.

In the wake of this chaos, platforms like Instagram and YouTube experienced a surge in users. Creators who had focused exclusively on TikTok began branching out, making their presence known on other platforms. This shift is crucial for ensuring creators aren’t left in a vulnerable position should something like this happen again in the future.

This temporary ban serves as a reminder of how quickly a platform can disappear and how easily creators can lose their audience if they don’t diversify their social media presence. It’s a powerful lesson in the importance of staying flexible, fresh, and up-to-date across multiple platforms so you’re not caught in a situation where you’ve put all your eggs in one basket and risk losing everything. It also highlighted the danger surrounding only selling through TikTok shops and how quickly sales could fall if a ban is placed again.