BETHLEHEM, Pa. — With TikTok on the brink of banishment, local business owners who rely on the popular social media platform are scrambling to come up with a Plan B.
"We're panicking," said Lauren McChesney, co-owner of Shankweiler's Drive-In Movie Theater in North Whitehall Township.
"It was one of the best ways to reach out to new people."
"Just because the app is owned by a Chinese company, there's an assumption that they will, in a sinister sense, use the algorithm to manipulate user sentiments to favor communism."Jefferson Pooley, affiliated professor of media and communication at Muhlenberg College
TikTok, a social media app known for the creation and sharing of short-form video content, is set to be banned in the United States on Sunday, according to a law passed by Congress in December.
As per the law, TikTok's parent company, Chinese-owned ByteDance, must sell to an American buyer or face a ban.
The Supreme Court upheld the law in a ruling released Friday.
"TikTok's scale and susceptibility to foreign adversary control, together with the vast swaths of sensitive data the platform collects, justify differential treatment to address the government's national security concerns," the court said.
The conflict, which began at the tail-end of President Donald Trump's first term in 2020, has sparked greater conversations about data privacy, national security and relations with the Chinese government.
"This is a by-product of tension between China and the United States," said Jefferson Pooley, affiliated professor of media and communication at Muhlenberg College.
Pooley called the ban "ridiculous fear-mongering."
"Just because the app is owned by a Chinese company, there's an assumption that they will, in a sinister sense, use the algorithm to manipulate user sentiments to favor communism," he said.
"There is no proof that any of this has ever occurred. Obviously, we don't know what exactly Congress was briefed on ahead of the decision to pass the law in December, but I think it is just ridiculous."
'Have to start from the ground up'
For McChesney and other local business owners, a potential ban means the alienation of a market that relies heavily on social media: millennials and Generation Z.
"The 18-34 age group — they aren't necessarily reading newspapers, looking at billboards or watching advertisements on TV," McChesney said.
"They're on social media. TikTok was a way to reach out to them."
Shankweiler's Drive-In Movie Theater first appeared on TikTok in 2022 and uploads a variety of content, including behind-the-scenes snippets, movie previews and collaborations with other local businesses.
The drive-in's TikTok started with six followers, McChesney said, but quickly skyrocketed to more than 32,000.
@shankweilers The question we get asked more than anything else is: How do we choose which movies to play at the drive-in? It's actually one of the most complicated and time-consuming things we do, and there are a lot of factors we have to consider. Stay tuned for part 2! #drivein #driveinmovie #driveintheater #movietheater #askmeanything #Pennsylvania #lehighvalley #behindthescenes ♬ original sound - Shankweiler's Drive-In
"Now, we feel like we have to start from the ground-up," she said.
"I feel like [our government] has a misguided focus on banning an app when there are so many other issues."
'Ability to adapt'
Other local businesses and organizations will be affected, too.
They include the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, the Philadelphia Phillies' Triple A affiliate baseball team, whose TikTok account has more than 44,800 followers.
Team spokesman Matt Bari said he thinks the impending ban is a strikeout.
He said that it will be "unfortunate to lose a resource, especially when it was a very popular one."
The Ironpigs' TikTok offers fun game day highlights, behind-the-scenes content with the players, and clips of families enjoying themselves at the ballpark.
@ironpigs How it started..and how it ended. 2024 is in the books. #YourHometownTeam ♬ original sound - IronPigs
Discover Lehigh Valley, a tourism organization dedicated to providing information on attractions, events, dining, shopping, accommodations and outdoor activities, has a TikTok account with more than 30,000 followers.
Hanna O'Reilly, the organization's social and content manager, said she could not offer comment personally.
But Chief Executive officer Alex Michaels emphasized that Discover Lehigh Valley understands "the importance of a diversified digital strategy."
"If a TikTok ban were to occur, we’re confident in our ability to adapt and continue delivering high-quality content that supports our mission of promoting the region," Michaels said.
Is there still hope?
While organizations such as Discover Lehigh Valley and businesses such as Shankweiler's are preparing to pivot, Pooley said there's a possibility the ban will not formally go through.
"Although the app will likely not be in the App Store on January 19, there is some maneuvering happening to potentially prevent the ban," he said.
The “decision on TikTok will be made in the not-too-distant future, but I must have time to review the situation."President-elect Donald Trump
Most recently, billionaire businessman and real estate mogul Frank McCourt, along with his internet advocacy group, revealed they have submitted a proposal to buy the social media platform from ByteDance.
Shark Tank investor Kevin O'Leary also has joined the initiative.
Trump has weighed in on the decision, as well. The president-elect asked the Supreme Court in December to pause its ruling on the TikTok ban until he takes office.
Three days before his inauguration, the court did not honor his request.
In a post on TruthSocial, Trump said the “decision on TikTok will be made in the not-too-distant future, but I must have time to review the situation."
Said Pooley: "It's so ironic, because he is the one who got us into this in the first place."
