LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — TikTok creators in Las Vegas are voicing concerns about their livelihoods as the app faces a potential ban in the United States.
Jose Buzani, known as Jose the Taco Guy on TikTok, expressed worries about the impact on his business if TikTok is banned.
"I have confidence in our business, but I know it's going to be double the work. I have half the following on Instagram, so I'm going to do double the work as far as marketing goes," he said.
Paul Contino, also known as Vegas Pauly C, had opposing views.
"I don't want to be dramatic here. They are talking about at least a year," Contino said, referring to the amount of time it would take before the ban would be put in place.
Contino and Buzani, co-owners of the restaurant Tacos El Guero, have amassed millions of views and hundreds of thousands of followers on their personal TikToks, translating to significant customer traffic for their business.
"The success of that shop was because of TikTok. Made enough revenue to where we can get that second shop going," Buzani said.
These concerns come as the U.S. Congress passed a bill this week as part of a wide-ranging foreign aid package that includes a TikTok ban. President Joe Biden signed a bill on Wednesday that declares the app's Chinese owner, ByteDance, must sell its stake in 12 months under the threat of the app being shut down.
Contino believes the issue will become a 1st Amendment matter.
"Ultimately, I do believe it will become a 1st Amendment issue. I do believe the Supreme Court will take it up," he said.
For Buzani, the potential ban could mean an increase in workload to reach people and customers for his restaurant. He plans to focus on growing his following on Instagram and other social media platforms.
