TikTok Shop has become a staple for online shoppers — but with the US’s impending ban drawing ever closer, legal experts say netizens will have to start looking elsewhere for a bargain.
TikTok is more than a video-sharing platform; in September 2023, the app introduced TikTok Shop, where business owners could sell their products for users to discover and purchase.
The platform skyrocketed in popularity almost instantly, becoming a staple way for users to buy trending items like clothing, accessories, and more — usually for a cheap price.
However, as TikTok’s potential ban in the United States approaches, Americans are curious to see what will happen to the app’s storefront if it gets the boot on January 19.
Lawyer sheds light on TikTok Shop’s future amid possible US ban
We got the chance to sit down with business litigator Neil Elan of Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, LLP to get some legal insights on TikTok Shop’s future in the United States.
Elan predicts that there will be a mad dash from users to cash out with as many items as they can before TikTok’s potential shutdown stateside, which he says will undoubtedly include TikTok Shop, as well.
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“I think it would be like a retail chain shutting down, you know, maybe there’s a quick time where you can run to the aisles and check out as much as you can,” he told us.
“It would close, and people wouldn’t be able to access and monetize via the store, and it would present profound economic ramifications to all those users and creators who have relied so heavily on TikTok. But ultimately, if it’s prohibited, then there’s nothing they can do.”
Elan urged creators to diversify their content as much as possible, but isn’t convinced that the end of TikTok will also mean the end of their careers.
“There will be another platform,” he assured. “It’s tough to predict now, but even if TikTok was not banned, in five, seven years, I don’t think anyone would be surprised if there was a new sheriff in town, or another more popular social platform.”
He’s not wrong; other apps have already skyrocketed in popularity as alternatives to TikTok, with China-based platform Xiaohongshu, or RedNote, soaring to the top of Apple’s App Store as January 19 approaches.
