"My last hope for society": JuJu Watkins threatens social media exit after TikTok's alleged privacy breach and national security woes

USC star JuJu Watkins, like many other influencers, dancers and content creators worldwide, is worried about TikTok's future in the United States. Amid concerns raised over potential privacy breaches and a threat to national security by the Chinese-owned app, the U.S. government passed a bill in the Senate to ban it in the country from 2025.

On the "Good Game with Sarah Spain" podcast on Dec. 18, Watkins was asked what she would do if TikTok did end up getting banned in the U.S.

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"TikTok is my last hope for society. If they get rid of that, I'm deleting social media as a whole," she said, after Trojans coach Lindsey Gottlieb chuckled about her claim.

JuJu Watkins further added:

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"You don't understand. Hopefully we can figure this out as a nation."

JuJu Watkins has 197,400 followers on TikTok. She recently also reached 1 million followers on Instagram and has 21,700 followers on X (formerly known as Twitter). The 19-year-old USC star is apparently willing to give all of that up due to her affection for TikTok.

How will banning TikTok impact JuJu Watkins and other content creators in the U.S.?

JuJu Watkins guarding Paige Bueckers during USC vs UConn [NCAA Women's Basketball: Southern California at Connecticut - Source: Imagn]

According to TikTok's Instagram post in 2023, the app generated $24.2 billion in the U.S. alone. It reportedly helped grow seven million businesses and generated $14.7 billion in revenue for American small businesses.

The app is the main source of income for several content creators through sponsored content, brand collaborations and more. Moreover, 224,000 American jobs stand to be at risk if the U.S. goes through with the ban.

Several college athletes could lose the NIL deals they have acquired through their TikTok fan following. Athletes like UConn star Paige Bueckers (3 million TikTok followers), Miami University twins Haley and Hanna Cavinder (4.5 million TikTok followers) and even LSU gymnast Olivia Dunne (8.1 million TikTok followers) stand at risk of losing a lot of potential income due to this ban.

LSU star gymnast Olivia Dunne, who has 8.1 million followers on TikTok, at the Women's National Gymnastics Championship - Source: Imagn

However, despite the risk of losing millions of users across the U.S., TikTok's parent organization, ByteDance, has reportedly seen a sharp rise in stock value. Therefore, according to the Wall Street Journal, ByteDance was valued at nearly $300 billion in November.

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to let TikTok challenge the legality of the bill. Moreover, President-elect Donald Trump has also said he doesn't see harm in allowing TikTok to function for a little while. He believes it helped him sway the election results in his favor among the youth as well.

The future of TikTok could potentially cause a major change in the US economy. Will they go through with the ban?

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