Waco business reacts to TikTok ban

Waco, TX (FOX 44) – Now that the fate of TikTok, in the U.S. is in jeopardy, many small business owners might have to resort to other platforms to connect with customers. TikTok serves as a cost-effective tool for getting more eyes on smaller companies.

Roni’s Mac Bar in Waco constantly tries to grow their customer base. A main tool? TikTok.

“It’s just pandemonium, you know, we went from just normal sales to lines going out the door,” says Roni’s CEO, Frank Senese.

Without it…

“Our main way of getting a message out to people would be gone,” he says.

If TikTok’s Chinese-based owner, Bytedance, doesn’t sell the app within a year–it will lead to a nationwide ban in the United States.

“I think there’s thousands of businesses out there right now all across America who will be severely impacted,” says Senese.

Senese says he’s grateful to have a presence on other social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. He adds, these apps are another free advertising tool for small businesses–and sees them growing in popularity if TikTok is banned.

“People that were on TikTok. All those eyeballs have to go somewhere,” he says.

Some lawmakers fear the Chinese government has too easy of access to TikTok user data. Caryn Brown–a social media expert with ‘Digital Media Butterfly’–agrees.

“There’s some security concerns there with the Chinese company having access to the data that you share on TikTok and having access to your phones,” says Brown.

She says having the app could compromise your confidential information.

“The technology is there. I mean, if they wanted to,” Brown says.

In 2022, Governor Abbott directed state agency leaders to immediately ban its officers and employees from downloading or using TikTok on any government-issued devices. Brown believes this was an important step in maintaining national security.

“You would have access to more information and more confidential information than an average consumer would, so you need to safeguard that data,” she says.

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