According to Reuters, many TikTokers in the US have "made appointments" with followers to "follow" them on rival platforms such as Instagram and Alphabet's YouTube.

The move by content creators comes after a federal appeals court ruled that social network TikTok could be banned if it is not sold to a US-based company by January 19.

TikTok has become a major digital force in the US, attracting up to 170 million users in the country, especially young people attracted to short videos.

The app has attracted advertisers from some of America's largest companies, and its commerce platform TikTok Shop has also become a marketplace for small businesses.

Concerned that TikTok's Chinese owners are collecting information on American consumers, the US Congress has just passed a law requiring ByteDance to divest TikTok in the country or face a ban.

TikTok has faced “threats” from politicians for years, leading some users to ignore the recent “threats.”

This seemed to change after December 16, when three judges at the US District Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (US) ruled to reject TikTok's appeal to block a law that could ban the app in the US.

The ruling is a major blow to TikTok in a market of more than 170 million users, although an appeal to the Supreme Court is still possible.

“For the first time, I realized that a lot of what I had done could disappear,” Chris Mowrey, a Democratic social media influencer with 470,000 TikTok followers, told Reuters.

“I don't think enough has been said about the economic toll on small businesses and creative people.”

On the app, confused TikTokers and viewers expressed concerns, with many saying they were “worried” the platform wouldn’t survive and that they were “preparing for the worst.”

Chris Burkett, a men's lifestyle creator on TikTok with 1.3 million followers, thinks the platform is here to stay.

“I don’t think this app will last long in the US,” he said in a video post. He “sees” his followers on other social media platforms like Instagram, YouTube, X and Threads.

"We've spent so many years and so much time building our community here (on TikTok)," said food travel creator SnipingForDom, with 898,000 followers.

While he doesn't think TikTok is "near the end," he still "tells" his followers to reach out to him on Instagram.

Others are also waiting for more information. Sarah Jannetti, a TikTok Shop consultant, said her customers aren’t worried about a “potential” TikTok ban and won’t be changing their business “until we see something more concrete.”

On April 24 this year, US President Joe Biden signed into law the Protecting Americans from Foreign-Controlled Apps Act (PAFACA), forcing ByteDance - TikTok's parent company based in China - to complete its divestment from TikTok by the deadline of January 19, 2025./.