TikTok Gone WILD 👀

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This whole TikTok ban or not banned situation is bananas.

For those living under a boulder, TikTok was banned on Saturday night for about 3 hours, but then came back on for everyone thanks to a promised executive order from President Trump (which is ironic b/c he wanted it banned years ago).

This was the message TikTok users received when they opened the app Saturday night:

I thought my girlfriend and little sister were going to start World War III. You’ve thought those two just lost their first newborn child. Granted I was forcing them to watch the NFL Playoffs, and they were stuck with no entertainment source.

Couple scroll addicts.

Then a few hours later, Tokers (do people say that?) received this message when they opened the app:

Over 33% of American adults use the app. The app has over 1.5 billion users worldwide, with over 170 million monthly active users in the United States. Those numbers are INSANE. There are only 8.1 billion people on planet Earth.

I’m not here to discuss the actual details and where it sits legally, but here’s an article on all that. Or if you don’t want to read that, here’s a quick summary from ChatGPT:

The TikTok ban in the U.S. stems from concerns over data security and ties to the Chinese government through its parent company, ByteDance. In 2020, the Trump administration attempted to ban TikTok, but legal challenges prevented the ban from taking effect. In 2023, President Biden endorsed legislation that could lead to a nationwide ban if TikTok’s ownership doesn’t change, with a divestment deadline of January 2025. The Supreme Court upheld this legislation in January 2025, leading to TikTok briefly suspending services in the U.S. before resuming them following a potential joint-venture deal announced by the incoming administration. The issue highlights the ongoing legal, political, and technological tensions between the U.S. and China.

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I do think the app will sell for $50 billion to someone. Elon Musk?

Here’s the best take I’ve seen on the entire situation and pretty much exactly where I stand with it. Yes of course, it’s Dave Portnoy take because it’s spot on.

Here’s my “Dave’s a Freakin Genuis” newsletter I wrote a few months back for any Portnoy fans.

Personally, I work in the world of social media and want to see the app live.

The packages we can sell to brands come at a higher price because we package TikTok in the campaign that includes millions of added impressions to the branded content with our athletes / shows.

BUT, unlike my little sister and GF, I despise the app and never use it. I think the UX is horrific serving you an ad or TikTok shop promo every second they can. And I’m not a fan of the content. I much prefer IG. You’re welcome, Zuck.

Ok so here’s what I really want to talk about today. For those still reading, love you guys.

Creators / Athletes / anyone who monetizes an online audience should turn to newsletter as an alternative to TikTok and other social media platforms to engage their audiences with.

Why?

YOU control the narrative (there is no censorship in emails).

YOU control how often you want to reach people (there is no algorithm to beat).

Yes, open rates and spam folders come into play but it’s nothing like trying to beat a social media platform algorithm.

Third and MOST IMPORTANTLY… YOU OWN the audience, not some other 3rd party platform.

Email is never going to just get banned or shutdown like TikTok did this past weekend. It will also be there. And you own everything about the following.

One moment, millions of creators and businesses are thriving on TikTok, the next, they’re panicking over losing their audiences and income overnight. It’s a good reminder of how quickly things can change when your platform is at the mercy of governments, corporations, or policy shifts.

Yes, it’s harder to go viral and build an email list from scratch. Like exponentially harder.

BUT if you already have a built-in audience like creators and athletes do elsewhere, you can quickly build a strong engaged newsletter following.

You don’t need to be some wizard writer to start a newsletter either.

I mean look at me, if you re-read this carefully, I’m sure you’ll find like 12 grammar/spelling errors. It’s not like I’m lazy and not re-reading my work. I’m just dyslexic AF and can’t ever find them.

If you’re trying to start a newsletter, reply to this email and hit me up. I got tips for ya.

In 2025, you’re going to see athletes and creators turn to newsletters as a medium to engage with fans… IN A BIG WAY.

This is less of a prediction and more of a known fact. Too bad you can’t actually bet on it. DraftKings would place this at -8000. Stay tuned people.

If you’re addicted to TikTok, congrats on your extended window. Happy for you.