As the potential for TikTok’s ban in the U.S. looms, many creators have been sharing emotional farewell messages with their followers.
Some have posted videos reflecting on their time on the platform, expressing gratitude for the community they’ve built, while others have hinted at finding new spaces to continue their work.
“I never even in a million years ever thought that anybody would ever just care about what I say,” Kimberly Rhoades, a creator of humorous videos, told her 3 million followers on Thursday. “If this app goes away, it was a beautiful, beautiful ride.”
The Supreme Court’s unanimous 9-0 ruling to uphold the law requiring ByteDance to either sell TikTok or face a U.S. ban has escalated the uncertainty surrounding the app’s future.
With the decision in place, TikTok could be forced offline as early as Sunday. This would mean the popular short-form video platform—responsible for reshaping social media trends and providing entertainment during the pandemic—could vanish from the web and be pulled from app stores operated by Apple and Google.
For creators, businesses, and users alike, this development marks the potential end of an era of TikTok-driven content and influence in the U.S.
In a follow-up video on Friday, Rhoades played about 30 seconds of Taps, the somber military tune often heard at funerals.
She concluded by saying, “This is the end of an era. Goodbye, TikTok.”
Her video captured the sentiments of many creators and fans, symbolizing the emotional goodbye to a platform that had become a significant part of their lives. With the potential ban approaching, TikTok’s exit from the U.S. marks the end of a cultural phenomenon for millions of users.
TikTok’s future in the U.S. now rests with President-elect Donald Trump, who initially supported a TikTok ban during his first term but has since changed his position.
In December, Trump requested that the Supreme Court pause the implementation of the law, seeking more time for his administration to “pursue a political resolution” to the issues raised in the case.
In a Friday post on his social media app Truth Social, Trump wrote, “My decision on TikTok will be made in the not too distant future, but I must have time to review the situation. Stay tuned!”
