TikTok's future in US in jeopardy as lawmakers set to vote on bill that could ban it

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- With nearly 150,000 followers and more than 2 million likes, what began as a hobby for Roger Kornegay has now transformed into a business.

"It started as a way of being able to help businesses that were closing shop during the pandemic. (There were) way too many favorite restaurants just closing and we didn't understand what was happening because these were great places. Me and my wife, what we started doing, we just started going to them and highlighting them," explained Kornegay.

The husband and wife team run Raleigh FoodTrap, posting content on multiple social media platforms. However, Kornegay explained the success on TikTok makes it standout, sharing a story from a recent project with a Durham restaurant.

"We told the business owner, 'Hey, we're going to come back. I want to promote this oxtail cheesesteak.' And they agreed to it. We took the video, put it on TikTok. I want to say, within a couple of days, it had over 200,000 views, (there was a) line wrapped around his business," said Kornegay.

They've now expanded their profiles outside just restaurants, now working with small businesses of different backgrounds.

"TikTok is a great equalizer for these small mom and pop shops for those that don't have marketing budgets," said Kornegay.

With plans to open The Yard Milkshake Bar in Seaboard Station, Kornegay is hoping to parlay their TikTok following into future sales. However, those plans are dependent on legislation which could prohibit access to the app.

"I think the challenge with something like the TikTok app, I don't think that we know specifically what the app is doing after the data is gathered and then it goes outside of the country," said Craig Petronella, CEO of Petronella Cybersecurity and Digital Forensics.

A bipartisan bill targets companies owned by foreign adversaries, in this instance Beijing-based ByteDance, which owns TikTok. It would essentially force ByteDance to divest from TikTok, or be unable to operate in the US, with web-hosting services and app stores prohibited from working with them. Politicians and cybersecurity experts have scrutinized TikTok's data collection methods, and worries over the Chinese government's ability to access data.

"It's more about what happens with the data afterwards. That's the concern. There could be profiling, there could be training of AI models," said Petronella.

"There's a lot of value, just from an intelligence standpoint, understanding what the public (is) interested in. They could be looking at stories about certain political candidates and certain policies," said Jon Sternstein, CEO of Stern Security.

Last year, cybersecurity firm Feroot reported the app can continue to collect and transfer data, even once deleted off a user's phone.

TikTok has stated it does not share data with the Chinese government, nor has it been requested to do so.

"We do have to use our common sense with these tools that are at our access. But I think we're missing the big point, and this is a big, big thing here. Our country, our nation has seen a big benefit economically from digital marketing platforms like TikTok," said Kornegay.

Last week, a House panel unanimously approved the legislation, which has the backing of House Speaker Mike Johnson and the Biden administration. Local and state governments, including the city of Raleigh and state of North Carolina, have previously issued bans of the app on government-owned devices over cybersecurity concerns.

In a statement, a TikTok spokesperson criticized the legislation, writing:

"This legislation has a predetermined outcome: a total ban of TikTok in the United States. The government is attempting to strip 170 million Americans of their Constitutional right to free expression. This will damage millions of businesses, deny artists an audience, and destroy the livelihoods of countless creators across the country."

If the bill is ultimately signed into law, ByteDance would have 180 days to comply.