Opinion: Alabama small businesses benefit from TikTok

As someone who grew up in challenging circumstances, I quickly learned the importance of hard work, persistence, and creativity to get by. In fact, I’ve dedicated my career to helping people in similar situations overcome obstacles and achieve their goals.

of those people are small business owners and entrepreneurs who are doing whatever it takes to grow their business and succeed. In many instances, this involves utilizing popular social media platforms like TikTok, which often provide a lifeline for entrepreneurs just starting out.

The government should embrace these Americans’ creativity and allow them to utilize this free marketing tool that very well may make the difference in their businesses’ trajectory. 

Some lawmakers in Washington are threatening to impose a universal ban on TikTok. A national ban would restrict access for the more than 150 million Americans on the app, shutting them out of an international information hub and the fast-growing creator economy.

This ban would have a devastating effect on small businesses who rely on TikTok to reach audiences that they might not otherwise be able to in order to grow their businesses.

A Washington-imposed TikTok ban would directly impact countless Alabama content creators and small businesses, many of whom rely on the platform as their source of income and as an invaluable tool to reach new customers.

For many young entrepreneurs, TikTok is a sole source of livelihood and the best chance they have at success because there are no upfront costs.

TikTok gives small businesses and start-ups the unique opportunity to advertise in the same arena as large corporations thanks to the curated algorithm. This means someone just starting out doesn’t have to worry about spending scarce resources on paid marketing efforts and can instead focus on directly selling their product or service to consumers. 

There are countless examples – in Alabama and across the country – of small businesses that would have been forced to close if not for the new customers TikTok drove to their websites or storefronts. TikTok is often the best marketing tool a small business can have if it wants to compete with larger companies. 

Those in Congress pushing the ban cite national security concerns. But the reality is that data privacy concerns are much bigger than any one social media company, and that Congress must pass comprehensive reforms if it truly wants to make a difference when it comes to protecting Americans’ privacy.

Further, there is something very anti-American about banning a platform utilized by so many of our citizens, not only for entertainment purposes, but for their own personal careers and livelihoods. There is a better way forward than telling Americans what they can and cannot do. 

Our government should be making life easier, not harder, for ambitious Americans who are trying to start a business and pursue their dreams. It’s time the government gets out of the way and ends any talk of banning social media platforms. 

Many of us have grown up in tough situations. Let’s give those Americans the best shot they can have at overcoming these obstacles. A TikTok ban makes no sense and is counter to what America stands for.

Alabama lawmakers should strongly oppose any measure to ban TikTok.

Dewayne Moore is a former football player and coach. He is the founder of the Dewayne Moore Foundation.