Yale TikTok Influencers Prepare for Ban, Diversify Online Presence
Yale University's TikTok influencers are preparing for the worst as the future of the platform hangs in the balance. Congress voted nine months ago to ban TikTok, leaving these content creators with no choice but to diversify their online presence.
Grant Tucker '27, a Yale student with over 83,000 TikTok followers, took the looming ban seriously. He admitted to downloading all his videos and even screen recording his profile to retain his content. Tucker also created a post to migrate his followers to a new Instagram page, anticipating TikTok's uncertain future.
Many other Yale influencers have decided to follow suit. Sunny Vuong '27 plans to repost her TikTok videos on YouTube, while Crawford Arnow '27, Yale's most followed TikTok influencer, has been reposting his videos on Instagram to prepare for a potential switch. However, the person with the largest TikTok following among Yale influencers has not explicitly stated where they have shifted their social media presence during this uncertain time.
TikTok's potential permanent ban could spell disaster for influencers like Grant Tucker who rely on the platform for clients and business opportunities. The brief ban imposed by President Donald Trump offered a glimpse into the chaos that could ensue, with TikTok's service restored only hours after the ban took effect. As the situation remains uncertain, Yale's TikTok influencers continue to prepare for the worst.
