‘This is a real industry’: Supreme Court decision on banning TikTok could devastate creators and small businesses — and potentially wipe out $1.3 billion in revenue in a single month

How will content creators be impacted?

TikTok’s potential shutdown forces content creators to make critical decisions about their income streams. Over the past few years, TikTok has allowed creators to monetize their content through brand partnerships, sponsorships, and commerce via TikTok Shop. For many, it has transformed creative passions into sustainable livelihoods.

Nicol Turner Lee, senior fellow in governance studies and director of the Center for Technology Innovation at the Brookings Institution, highlighted the economic ramifications in an interview with National Public Radio. “Some would argue that with TikTok shutting down, they could wipe out about $1.3 billion in U.S. small business and creator revenue within just one month," she said.

The $1.3 billion figure Turner Lee references comes from TikTok’s own projections, shared in court filings related to the case, according to a CNBC report.

A ban would disrupt creators’ revenue streams, leaving many scrambling to rebuild their presence elsewhere. TikTok’s blend of discoverability and engagement has been a key factor in its success — one that other platforms may struggle to replicate.

Taylor Byrne, who goes by Queen Tay on TikTok, where she shares her thrift shopping finds, shared how the ban would impact her personally. Having just signed a $2,000 lease, purchased a 2025 car, and bracing for upcoming moving expenses, she’s aware of the financial stakes. Yet, she remains cautiously optimistic.

“There’s going to be a major shift likely from what I’m seeing from TikTok to Meta platforms and they’re already rolling out new monetization programs to help adjust with this,” Byrne explained.

Many TikTok users are now scrambling to direct their followers to accounts on platforms like YouTube or Instagram. Those with already established followings on those sites may feel less pressure from the ban, as they already have alternative revenue streams in place. But for influencers relying solely on TikTok, the road ahead will likely require significant adaptation.

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What about small businesses

TikTok has been a game-changer for small businesses, providing a platform where engaging content takes precedence over follower count. The algorithm has allowed small businesses to reach audiences that would have been otherwise unattainable through traditional advertising or other social media platforms.

According to TikTok’s Economic Impact Report, conducted by Oxford Economics, the platform generated $14.7 billion in revenue for small- and medium-sized businesses in the U.S. in 2023. In total, TikTok says it contributed $24.3 billion to the country’s GDP that year. The report adds that over 7 million U.S. businesses rely on TikTok, supporting 224,000 jobs through small business activity alone.

The loss of TikTok would force many businesses to pivot to more expensive and potentially less effective channels to attract customers, putting their operations at risk. Washington, D.C.-based wedding stylist Kati Kons, known on TikTok as @portraitofabrideonfire, expressed the implications for her livelihood during an interview with CBC.

“It really hit me where I was like, 90% of my business comes from TikTok. Ninety percent of my clients,” she told the CBC. “I don’t think I’ve had a single client inquiry come in from Instagram.”

For small businesses that rely on TikTok as a primary marketing tool, the ban could mean the loss of not just revenue but also the visibility and accessibility that helped them grow. Without affordable and effective alternatives, many may face significant challenges in sustaining their growth or, in some cases, their survival as an influencer.