Lincoln business owner says TikTok ban would hurt sales

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – The House of Representatives voted 352-65 on Wednesday to ban TikTok in the U.S. if it doesn’t separate from its parent company.

That concerns some local businesses, which said losing TikTok could mean losing money.

Kendra McFayden, owner of Wrap All About It and Dye Happy, said the app helps her get the word out and sell products.

She makes tie-dye clothing, keychains and wire-wrapped jewelry, which she showcases on her TikTok account.

McFayden said when there isn’t a physical store to go to, apps like TikTok can “make or break you.”

Her New Year’s resolution was to build her TikTok following.

“I wanted to get 1,000 followers so I was able to go live and meet new people,” she said.

Last year, McFayden only had a few family members and friends following her, but now she’s up to 1,500 followers.

She said the app has also allowed her to develop a community where people share ideas and support one another.

TikTok is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese company with ties to the nation’s Communist Party.

Rep. Mike Flood of Nebraska released a statement saying ByteDance could use the app to further the interests of China.

“TikTok is the Chinese Communist Party’s favorite social media app for Americans,” he said. “It has been used as a tool of propaganda in our country and this narrowly tailored bill will help put an end to that. The legislation requires TikTok’s parent company to divest from their American division or to face an outright ban in the United States. Today’s vote was an overwhelming bipartisan show of force sending a message: America will not allow our foreign adversaries to use our country’s free marketplace to undermine our love for liberty.”

But McFayden said she hasn’t seen the danger of the app, only the benefits.

She said TikTok has accounted for 10% to 15% of her income since she started doing livestreams last year.

“I was comparing my numbers from this time last year to this year, and I’m up,” she said. “And that’s solely because of TikTok.”

McFayden said being able to run her business from home not only saves her money, but also allows her to be with her kids.

“I get to watch them grow, and I don’t have to pay someone else and only get to see them a few hours a day,” she said. “That is really why I do what I do.”