So TikTok has shut the doors on its users in the United States. Along with several other apps, including CapCut, Gauth, Lemon8 and Hypic.
Can you imagine waking up one day and finding out that the platform you’ve poured your heart and soul into is suddenly gone? After spending weeks, months or even years to build a community for yourself?
For creators and small businesses, this isn’t just about an app disappearing. It’s especially about livelihoods being snatched away in the blink of an eye. Because TikTok was a way to gain an income, a way to be able to continue paying the bills.
With one decision, millions of users suddenly lost access to their TikTok accounts.
Effects of the TikTok Ban
Although I have an account, I hardly ever go on TikTok. Instagram is my go-to app for entertainment as well as for posting my work, after Twitter. But even I can see why this is such a huge blow for so many people. TikTok made it easier to monetize content and grow an audience. It’s hard to ignore the sheer reach and opportunities it offered, especially for small creators.
But now, with the US audience – a massive chunk – gone, things have changed drastically. For European creators, too. The US market is often a key source of income, whether it’s through selling handmade crafts, offering commissions, or finding new customers for small businesses. Losing access to such a significant audience is not a good development to say the very least.
This isn’t just a TikTok problem, though. It’s a reminder of how fragile things are when you rely on big platforms. One day you’re thriving, the next some person in power decides you can’t access your hard work, your community, or your customers anymore.
That’s why I believe in taking control of your online presence.
You have to build something that no one can take away from you. This is why you should have a website as an artist, for example.
Keep Control in Your Hands
If you’re an artist, a small business owner, or just someone passionate about sharing your work, you need your own space. A website that you control.
For me, running my own blog has served me well throughout years of turbulent social media times. Tumblr losing its userbase, Twitter changing hands, people moving from Instagram to Cara, people moving from Twitter to BlueSky and back.
I would get tired of constantly needing to move.
My blog is my space that I have full control over. This is where I can share my art, knowing it won’t get removed for some arbitrary reason. This is where I can build a community.
My website is mine. No one can take that away from me. I don’t have to wake up one day and wonder: where do I take my business now?
Social media platforms are great for getting noticed, but they’re not permanent. They’re like rented apartments: you can decorate them and make them feel like home, but at the end of the day, you don’t own them. And if the landlord decides to evict you? That’s it. Gone.
But your own website? That’s your house. It’s where your work lives, safely under your control.
Why This Matters
Think about it. If you rely solely on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube, you’re putting your hard work in someone else’s hands. What happens if they shut down, change their rules, or get banned like TikTok just did in the US? All that effort, gone overnight.
This is why I highly encourage people to start their own websites. It doesn’t have to be fancy. Start small. Build a portfolio for your art, set up a shop for your handmade items, or create a blog where you share your thoughts. What matter is that, in the end, you have a space that’s actually yours.
The Internet Belongs to Us All
The TikTok ban should remind us once again that we’re not in control when we depend on powerful platforms. It’s scary to think about how many creators and small businesses have been affected. I’ve seen Instagram reels come by of people crying about losing their livelihood. Losing what they’ve been building for so many years. It’s sad to see.
Again though, we’re offered a chance to take a step back and think about how we can protect ourselves in the future.
For me, this is about freedom. True freedom is being able to wake up and know that your work, your community, and your income are safe because you’ve built something no one can take away.
So, if you haven’t started your own website yet, now is the time. Don’t wait for another ban or algorithm change to force your hand. Take control now. Let’s reclaim the internet.
Don’t leave your hard work in the hands of platforms that can disappear overnight.
Note: TikTok May Be Back Online
Even before I was able to finish my article and publish it here on my blog, TikTok already seems to be back online for users in the US. Apparently TikTok is available again to US users less than 24 hours “after reassurances from President-elect Trump that the ban wouldn’t be enforced”.
This doesn’t change the message, though. This could happen again. Any platform you depend on – no matter how big or popular – can disappear overnight. Whether it’s a ban, a change in rules, or a platform simply shutting down, the risk is always there.