After spending nearly four years, Christopher Rudd has amassed over 716,000 followers on TikTok. However, following the Supreme Court’s ruling on Friday, his primary income source may soon disappear.

Known as Kit Lazer online, Rudd balanced a regular job while producing content related to films and TV shows. Each time a new episode or movie was released on a streaming service, he would wake up at 5 a.m. to watch, record, edit, and post a review on TikTok quickly to stay ahead of critics with early access, before heading to his 9-to-5 sales job.

His efforts paid off; he garnered enough views and brand partnerships to leave his day job last June. Rudd expressed that full-time content creation comes with unique challenges but has been fulfilling, allowing him to attend film festivals and interview stars like Glen Powell.

“I started as a hobby because it brought me joy, and then it became something real, which was unbelievable,” said Rudd, 36. “Only TikTok can facilitate that.”

However, Rudd and many other creators on the platform now face uncertain futures. TikTok is expected to become inaccessible after the Supreme Court upheld legislation that effectively prohibits the app. According to Blake Chandlee, TikTok’s president of global business solutions, a one-month shutdown could result in nearly $300 million in lost earnings for around 2 million creators in the U.S.

“This situation is devastating to so many, especially the creators,” remarked Brooke Duffy, an associate professor at Cornell University’s Department of Communication, specializing in digital and social media landscapes. The ban could “cut off their source of income without an alternative.”

Part-time creators also feel the impact

Approximately 170 million Americans, or about half the nation’s population, use TikTok. While only a small fraction are full-time content creators like Rudd, many find it to be a profitable side venture.

For instance, Talia Cadet, 35, from Capitol Heights, Maryland, works as a social media executive but relies on TikTok for approximately 15% of her income, which helps her manage expenses in a high-cost metropolitan area.

“When I’m not at my job, I focus on my TikTok work,” she explained.

Cadet, one of eight creators suing against the federal TikTok ban, notes that while she uses other platforms, TikTok is her preferred one. She has a following of over 160,000, sharing content about the D.C. area, literature, and Black-owned businesses.

“That’s where I thrive as a creator. It’s my key audience, and TikTok’s algorithm and search functions allow creators to express their authentic selves,” she expressed.

Megan Diem Easton, a creator near Nashville with over 80,000 followers, began using TikTok as a side job in 2022 to share content about wedding planning and color analysis. Although the revenue wasn’t sufficient for living expenses, it helped her pay off debts and feel less anxious about finances.

However, after being laid off from her marketing job in December, TikTok became her sole income source, leading her to worry about its possible closure.

“I’ve put years into building this, almost creating a small business from scratch, and it’s now at risk through no fault of my own,” said Diem Easton, 25. “It feels akin to losing a job.”

Small businesses brace for impact: ‘I’m already mourning’

Paulina Hoong, 29, claims that her small business, Menmin Made, has experienced significant growth thanks to TikTok.

She has gained more than 45,000 Instagram followers and 19,000 on TikTok for her Asian American and Pacific Islander-themed prints and products, allowing her to run her art business full-time since 2022.

Business fluctuates, but the social media boost has shifted her from struggling to a more stable financial situation, with a “substantial portion” of her sales coming via TikTok.

Hoong urged her TikTok followers to connect with her on alternative platforms and join her newsletter, but she fears her sales will plummet if TikTok disappears.

“I’m already grieving the loss of TikTok. The emotional toll of this week has been significant,” she remarked. “Not only has TikTok been instrumental in my business, but it has also shaped who I am by exposing me to diverse opinions and cultures.”

TikTok estimates that small enterprises could lose upwards of $1 billion within a single month if the app shuts down.

Creators under pressure

Jessica Fennen, 30, operates an animal sanctuary housing nearly 80 reptiles, amphibians, and fish, many of which have disabilities. She attributes her success to platforms like TikTok.

Having posted online since 2015 and transitioning to full-time content creation in 2020, Fennen saw her income rise in 2022 as TikTok videos featuring her frogs often went viral. Much of her earnings have been reinvested in the sanctuary, where she has been rescuing more animals and renovating a Michigan home to house them.

“TikTok has allowed me to reach a vast audience and achieve financial growth,” she said. “The renovations have totalled thousands of dollars and were funded entirely through TikTok.”

With her 235,000 followers potentially lost, Fennen is concerned about the future. Not only is a crucial income stream disappearing, but TikTok’s user-friendly editing features that she has utilized to create content across various platforms will also be gone.

“Returning to a regular job will limit the time I can dedicate to the reptiles,” she noted. Moreover, with recent expansions at the sanctuary, “I have more animals and responsibilities, increased vet bills, and more food costs. Without TikTok income, this is becoming incredibly stressful.”

Creators’ next steps amid uncertainty

As the potential TikTok ban looms, creators are racing to determine their future options.

While alternative platforms exist – Rudd has a podcast, a Substack, 10,000 YouTube subscribers, and over 130,000 on Instagram – he believes they do not match TikTok in terms of financial opportunities. Approximately 90% of Rudd’s income comes from TikTok through its creator fund and brand deals.

“I hope to sustain a living in this field without TikTok,” Rudd shared. “I’m not sure how that will work out yet, but I’ll keep discussing movies because I love them, and if anyone listens, that’s secondary.”

Cora Lakey, 30, who began creating full-time in October and has over 103,000 TikTok followers, states that 70% of her earnings come from TikTok’s creator fund, which compensates users based on video engagement. She also has around 27,500 followers combined on Instagram and YouTube.

Followers, has yet to compare.

“If I earn $100 on YouTube Shorts, I can earn over $1,000 on TikTok,” she explained. “That’s what worries me about TikTok. They fairly reward creators for what we produce.”

Lakey is looking into other app options. She has signed up for RedNote, a Chinese app gaining traction as a TikTok substitute, and mentioned she might return to the corporate world if TikTok ceases to exist.

“The biggest platforms are YouTube and Instagram, so I’m planning to work on (Instagram) Reels during my non-working hours to succeed there,” she stated. “But there’s no match for TikTok. It’s the best, and people are upset for good reasons.”

Cornell’s Duffy cautioned that it would be difficult for creators to transition and rebuild their careers on a different platform if TikTok disappears. She referenced Vine, another short video platform that shut down in 2017, significantly affecting numerous creators.

“Users have invested not only years into building a community on this platform but also understanding its dynamics, trying to enhance visibility, grow their follower base, and grasp the culture,” Duffy noted. “For many, it’s a job. In fact, it’s a job that requires constant attention.”

Lavelle Dunn, a creator based in Los Angeles with over 730,000 followers, has been dedicated to content creation full-time since 2023. He mentioned that income from the TikTok creator fund has been a stable source of revenue over the last year, unlike competing platforms.

“I’m on Instagram, of course, and I’m beginning to engage on YouTube, but I don’t earn anything on those other platforms,” he shared. “This is a really frightening time for me.”

The future of the app remains uncertain even with the upheld ban. President Joe Biden indicated that he wouldn’t enforce the ban, while President-elect Donald Trump commented on wanting to preserve the app. On Friday, Trump stated he would make a decision regarding the app “in the near future.”

“The next stage of this initiative – enforcing compliance with the law once it takes effect on January 19 – will be a process that unfolds gradually,” Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco announced on Friday.

Dunn, 30, remains hopeful that TikTok will endure, but he’s considered his alternatives if the app does go offline. He anticipates shifting more focus to YouTube, and although he disapproves of Meta’s choice to cancel its diversity, equity, and inclusion program, he acknowledged it’s too significant of a platform to overlook.

But “TikTok occupies its own unique space. There’s no comparison with this app due to its algorithm,” he expressed. “I just want to keep fighting until the end, keeping everyone smiling. And if things don’t turn out as expected, I’m confident we’ll adapt and discover other means to provide for ourselves.”