Creators tell House committee TikTok uncertainty harms small businesses; witnesses urge codified protections

Witnesses at a House Small Business Committee hearing said uncertainty about TikTok’s future in the United States has had immediate economic effects for creators and recommended that Congress convert any long‑term platform agreements into statute to give creators predictable rules.

Representative Nydia Velázquez, the committee’s ranking member, described the “elephant in the room” as the federal actions around TikTok and said the short enforcement delays have created “uncertainty for the content creators that rely on this platform.”

Jesse Appel, founder of Jesse’s Tea House, said TikTok drives his sales and audience; “If TikTok is banned, I lose 600,000 followers and, sales losses likely in the hundreds of thousands,” Appel testified. He urged Congress to ‘‘codify any deal’’ so creators are not exposed to sudden platform losses.

Witnesses and members also said short enforcement delays and executive action have made it difficult for creators to plan beyond a two‑ to three‑month horizon. Kayla Moran told the committee that creators need a consistent federal policy and responsive agencies; she described the current situation as an “emotional roller coaster” for creators who cannot predict platform availability.

Members asked witnesses whether a confirmed deal would be sufficient, and several witnesses said a deal that is not codified could be reversed and therefore provides limited long‑term assurance to creators who build businesses tied to the platform.

Committee members and witnesses agreed that platform policy stability is important for planning by small businesses that use social media as their primary market channel.