Lincoln TikTok food influencer, restaurants she reviews face uncertainty over possible ban

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – TikTok can be a powerful tool to promote something as small as a product or as big as a business.

But what happens if the app is banned in the U.S. next month, as required by a new law?

Influencer Tiana Le, who some may know as Floofy Tiana on TikTok, has more than 16,000 followers and has become a trusted voice for food lovers in Nebraska.

She reviews everything from hidden gems to fan-favorite eateries.

“I went out to eat with my fiancé, the food looked really good, so I decided to just pull out my camera and make a video about it.” Le said. “Ever since I posted my first video in Lincoln, I got a ton of comments and DMs. A lot of people were like, ‘I’ve been living in Nebraska for so many years, but I never heard about this place before.’ So that’s when I was like, ‘I want to make more videos about my favorite places in Nebraska.'”

SEE ALSO: Lincoln business wary of TikTok ban, says app brings in customers

But TikTok is facing a possible shutdown in the U.S. on Jan. 19.

Congress passed a law last rear requiring the app’s owner, ByteDance, to sell it or shut down.

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear ByteDance’s challenge of the law on Jan. 10.

Influencers like Le are bracing for what could be a major disruption in their business model.

“I do feel pretty uncertain about the ban,” she said. “I feel like it could become a real possibility coming up soon, especially with how things have been going in court and the Supreme Court and stuff.”

SEE ALSO: Lincoln business owner says TikTok ban would hurt sales

For many businesses like Lila Mae’s Southern Kitchen, TikTok has been a game changer.

Co-owners Travis Russell and Tramesha Cruse said they’ve received a big boost in business thanks to Le’s review.

“Once she posted that video, business doubled,” Russell said. “I think we noticed in the first 24 hours, it had something like 250,000 views, and within a couple days it, was over 400,000.” Russell said.

Cruse said the next afternoon, they saw an uptick at the start of their lunch hour.

But Le thinks there could be a compromise to avoid the ban.

“I feel like with the money that TikTok does make and the connection our government has, they’ll be able to figure something out and find a way to keep the app to continue running,” she said.