After a panel of judges denied a petition from TikTok to overturn a new law that could ban the social media service, many TikTok creators, including those in Philadelphia, are reacting, write Callie Holtermann and Sapna Maheshwari for The New York Times.

Alex Pearlman, a 40-year-old Philadelphia-based comedian, with 2.7 million TikTok followers, is one of them.

“It’s about to get stupid,” Pearlman said in a video. “We don’t know what’s going to stay monetized, we don’t know how the TikTok Shops are going to keep working … We’ve got 44 days until this app goes.”

TikTok has more than 170 million users in the United States. Most use it as a source of news, entertainment, and income, while society has seen it evolve into a cultural juggernaut that influences nearly every facet of American life.

However, with many having to come to terms with the possibility that the app could be on its last legs, some have started amassing followers on other apps just in case.

Philly-based sneaker content creator Steve Natto posts on seven other social media platforms, but admits that TikTok is home to his largest following.

“There’s just so many viewers and eyes on TikTok that I wouldn’t want it to go away,” Natto said.

Read more about the ongoing battle legal battle surrounding TikTok at The New York Times.

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