Cuban Influencers Worried of Uncertain Tik Tok Future in US
HAVANA TIMES – “TikTok is going nowhere,” exclaims Cuban influencer Yanet Atlanta, a resident of the United States, in a video titled “We’re Back” published on January 19, 2025.
Yanet, freshly awake and still in her pajamas, excitedly speaks to her audience of over 200,000 followers. TikTok had shut down its servers in the United States for about 24 hours due to political tensions between the US government and the Chinese platform.
“I wasn’t nervous because I knew it was coming back,” says the content creator. “Now I’m going to get ready, and we’ll start posting content because the sadness is gone.”
From Entertainment App to Global Giant
Launched in 2016 by Chinese company Bytedance Technology Co., TikTok is a social network based on short looping videos. The platform allows users to create, edit, and share audiovisual content of up to 3 minutes – although longer options exist.
However, the app didn’t go viral until the arrival of COVID-19 and the lockdown; in 2020, it surpassed 800 million monthly active users.
With the closure of schools, jobs, and other public events, internet and social media consumption skyrocketed worldwide. TikTok then became a fun and easy-to-use option. Trends or challenges (dances, challenges, sounds) played an important role, motivating users to participate and share. But above all, the app featured an addictive algorithm – a video recommendation system based on each user’s interests.
Today, the platform is estimated to have 1.5 billion active users globally.
It was precisely its rapid rise that began raising concerns and suspicions among U.S. government officials. There were worries about the privacy of user data and national security, given the Chinese parent company, ByteDance. It was speculated that the information stored by the platform could be used by the Chinese Communist Party for espionage or political manipulation.
TikTok on the Brink of a Final Ban
After nearly five years of scrutiny, on January 19, 2025, TikTok became unavailable to users in the United States. The ban came into effect following a law passed in April 2024, which was later supported by the Supreme Court. The regulation required ByteDance to sell TikTok’s operations to a buyer not considered an “adversary.”
However, the measure was paused on January 20, 2025, after Donald Trump entered the White House. The president signed an executive order granting ByteDance an additional 75-day deadline to sell its operations in the United States to a company deemed trustworthy by the Administration. Among the potential buyers are names like Elon Musk, owner of X (formerly Twitter), and Larry Ellison, president of the multinational tech company Oracle. TikTok’s estimated value stands at $50 billion.
Cuban Influencers on the Edge
TikTok is not just a space for fun videos. In recent years, it has become a platform with significant impact in the music industry, promoting and discovering artists. It also gained relevance as a source of news information, even playing a key role in presidential campaigns. This was evidenced in the most recent US elections, where Kamala Harris and Donald Trump faced off.
But TikTok also became a source of income for millions of influencers worldwide, including those of Cuban origin residing in the United States.
With a strong presence in cities like Miami, these content creators have gained notoriety for sharing videos marked by Cuban humor and culture, as well as personal experiences related to migration or other topics, such as fashion and lifestyle. Some of the most followed influencers include Randy Alvarez, aka Pollito Tropical (4.5 million followers); Sandra Cires (3.6 M); Edy Suarez (over 840 K); and Diliamne Jacob, aka La Dura (171 K), to name a few.
Thanks to in-app tools like the Creator Fund, gifts and tips on TikTok LIVE, advertising, and sponsorships with brands, creating content on TikTok – as well as other social media – has become a part-time or full-time job for many Cubans.
Earlier this year, a video by Cuban TikToker Yanet Atlanta gained attention after the creator – and insurance agent – revealed details about her monthly earnings through her posts. The islander often shares tips on how to make money in the US and advice for newly arrived migrants. She has also posted videos about her daily life in the United States.
According to Yanet, thanks to the Creator Fund, her monthly earnings usually range between $1,200 and $1,400 USD. In months with higher viewership, she has managed to collect up to $2,886. This doesn’t include any other sums from brand collaborations or sales through the platform’s store.
What Could Happen Tomorrow?
With only around 40 days left until the expiration of the extension granted by the Trump Administration, TikTok’s future remains uncertain. Several scenarios are being considered.
If ByteDance reaches an agreement with a US government-approved company, it could continue operating in the country. Another extension could be negotiated, and it’s also possible that ByteDance will make internal changes to meet the requirements of the US Congress. A similar situation occurred with “Project Texas.”
However, if ByteDance decides not to sell, TikTok would shut down its operations in the United States permanently.
Beyond being just an entertainment app, TikTok has served as a digital bridge between the Cuban diaspora and the audience within the island, facilitating cultural exchange, the visibility of realities, and the construction of independent narratives in a context where access to information and freedom of expression are limited. The potential loss of this platform would reduce connection spaces for Cubans, affecting both content creators who rely on TikTok as a medium of communication and livelihood, as well as users who consume and share these stories.
First published in Spanish by El Toque and translated and posted in English by Havana Times.