TikTok, a dominant force in the rapidly evolving social media landscape, has recently faced intense legal and congressional scrutiny due to its parent company’s connections to the Chinese government. The implementation of the Protecting Americans Against Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act precipitated a national disruption—a 14-hour blackout of the platform on January 18th. In a legal analysis, I determined that the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the ban failed to adequately consider the First Amendment rights of American users and creators, prioritizing national security concerns instead. This ruling may herald in a new era of increased digital governance and further restrictions on foreign-owned social media platforms. Beyond the legal consequences, the ban has profound cultural and economic impacts on the platform’s community. To explore these effects at a personal level, this podcast episode features a conversation with Julia Craig, a micro-content creator. Craig discusses the ramifications of the blackout in her life and online livelihood, her perspective on the ban, and the potential shifts in creators’ futures.