TikTok will survive Donald Trump, US users say

“I never thought I would have a voice, but this app has given me one and people have been listening,” stated Rebecca Fisher-Tringale, explaining her love for social community TikTok, including, “I never thought it would be possible.”

The aspiring political scientist stated she has little doubt TikTok will survive — regardless of the Sword of Damocles that President Donald Trump has been dangling above the social community.

Under her display identify @theprogressivepolicy, Fisher-Tringale feedback on present occasions a number of occasions a day briefly movies lambasting Trump for his dealing with of the coronavirus pandemic or his immigration insurance policies.

In early August, the president signed an government order to drive China’s ByteDance group to promote or spin off the platform to an American firm within the identify of an alleged menace to “national security” by TikTok.

Trump has claimed, with out giving proof, that Beijing can use the vastly well-liked app to spy on Americans.

But Fisher-Tringale shrugs this off; she will not be overly nervous about TikTok’s survival, regardless of its significance in her life.

“I joined the app kind of as a joke in 2019 to watch videos and be entertained,” she stated. “Then I started to make videos about my dog, then I made one about Trump, and it blew up,” she advised AFP from her house-share in Boone, North Carolina.

With greater than 80,000 followers, the 21-year-old faculty pupil stated she hopes to convey “different perspectives” to younger individuals of all backgrounds, lots of them not but of voting age.

“So many people have texted me saying we wouldn’t be involved in politics if it wasn’t for you,” she added.

A viral riot

In one among her most viral episodes, Fisher-Tringale posted an ironic quiz for individuals who push again in opposition to anti-racist “Black Lives Matter” protesters by insisting that “All Lives Matter.”

“Who was brought to America in chains at the bottom of ships?” she requested, earlier than providing these choices: “A. Black Lives; B. All Lives.”

In June, she joined hundreds of different TikTok customers in registering on-line to attend a Trump rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma — whereas planning all alongside to not go.

The rows of empty seats seen within the televised occasion represented a humiliating setback for the Republican candidate’s marketing campaign, however a supply of pleasure for younger TikTok’ers.

“I think it made him angry,” Fisher-Tringale stated of Trump; she believes that partly explains his antipathy to the platform.

TikTok, which went international in 2018, is totally separate from its Chinese model, Douyin, which serves solely the Chinese market. It now has some 100 million month-to-month customers within the United States, half of them utilizing the app day by day, in line with firm information.

It has constructed its speedy success on its format — parodies, messages and dance or comedy performances of 15 to 60 seconds, set in opposition to well-liked music — together with an algorithm that determines which content material is more than likely to curiosity every consumer.

“There’s that virality component that TikTok has been able to take over, better than Facebook and Instagram,” stated Saadia Mirza, who owns a advertising company in Houston, Texas.

“What Trump doesn’t like is this virality component, and that he can’t control the narrative on TikTok — it’s something he doesn’t understand, so he’s afraid of it.”

A query of priorities

Mirza turned to TikTok early within the coronavirus pandemic — out of boredom, she says. She rapidly acknowledged its potential and commenced posting political movies, urging fellow customers to vote or explaining public insurance policies whereas taking part in well-liked songs.

Her motivation?

“The wonderful thing is seeing young people or even my age group sharing ideas,” stated the thirty-something Mirza. “I’m learning from other people.”

After a sequence of diplomatic twists, and regardless of negotiations involving a number of firms, the community — which now has some 700 million month-to-month customers worldwide — may disappear from the US if Washington and Beijing, together with involved firms, fail to achieve settlement.

Many of TikTok’s creators and influencers say they’ll migrate to rival platforms — like Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts and Triller — if want be.

But, stated nanny and part-time slapstick comedian Brittany Tilander, “I don’t think anything’s gonna happen with TikTok. I don’t think it’s going anywhere.”

The 29-year-old from Kansas City has taken her humor to TikTok because the pandemic prevented her from showing on stage.

She, Fisher-Tringale and Mirza say they assume the president’s place on TikTok is not going to stand; that different US establishments will defend the platform the place they really feel most free to specific their opinions.

Trump, stated Tilander, is attacking the app as “a really nice distraction” from what she says is his poor job dealing with different points.

“With the pandemic going on, the wildfires, unemployment as high as it is, the civil rights movement — in an election year (TikTok) should be really low on his priorities,” she stated.