Small business owners and app users weigh in on potential TikTok ban
"World Cow is all about connecting people around the world. And TikTok is by far the most important tool for doing that for us," said DJ Barry, founder of World Cow.
"World Cow is all about connecting people around the world. And TikTok is by far the most important tool for doing that for us," said DJ Barry, founder of World Cow.
"World Cow is all about connecting people around the world. And TikTok is by far the most important tool for doing that for us," said DJ Barry, founder of World Cow.
This week, House Speaker Mike Johnson introduced four new bills, including three calling for foreign aid to Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan. The fourth bill is a second attempt to ban TikTok.
This latest push comes after the House received overwhelming bipartisan support and passed a bill last month that would ban TikTok from U.S. app stores if it remains under the control of Byte Dance. Those in favor of the ban have cited privacy and national security risks posed by the app while it is owned by the Chinese parent company.
But people in our region also acknowledge the app has become a vital tool for many, including small-business owners like DJ Barry.
Barry started his brand “World Cow” in Vermont’s capital city of Montpelier. He said it’s inspired by his upbringing on farms around the Green Mountain State. However, the cows he paints are unique because they’re covered in spots shaped like a world map.
Barry said the World Cow is a symbol of kindness and unity, a message he’s worked to spread locally from his Montpelier storefront and worldwide on his TikTok page.
"Our message is we're all spots on the same cow. No matter your race or gender, we're in this life together,” Barry said.
Barry said when he started his brand less than 10 years ago, he never imagined it would reach as far as it does today.
"It's in 48 countries now and growing,” he said.
But he said he’s certain of one thing: That progress wouldn’t have been possible without TikTok.
"I did a video just tagging a cow on the side of my car, and that went viral. We had a million hits there, and suddenly, we started growing a following,” Barry said.
World Cow now has 164,000 TikTok followers. But Barry fears the movement could crumble if a TikTok ban makes it out of Washington.
"I think it would just be a huge blow to every creator,” he said.
Users of the app from our region said they see both sides of the issue.
Jennifer Failinger, a junior at the University of Vermont, said she’s found many uses for the social media app, even helping her decide where she would go to college.
“My friends who use it for study abroad figure out where they want to go and what it’s going to be like there,” Failinger said. “I mean, I used to use it for outfit inspiration or like just to figure out what UVM was like when I was looking here.”
However, others feel government action is warranted if claims of privacy and national security risks are substantiated.
“A lot of the stuff they said about the parent company doing some bad things on information, I think probably best for them to do something about it at least,” said UVM senior Aidan Nitsche.
The first bill, supported by New York Congresswoman Elise Stefanik and Vermont Congresswoman Becca Balint, is still waiting to be voted on in the Senate. The second bill will need to be voted on in the House.