How the Potential TikTok Ban and Blocking of Sites like Porn Hub Will Effect Black Queer Creators
Watching the emotional video posted by Lavelle Dunn on his @thelavelleshow TikTok channel you can’t help but wonder if like most things, the potential ban of the social media platform giant, TikTok, will disproportionately effect the Black and Queer like nearly every societal issue has. Although there have always been complaints that the algorithm favors white influencers, BIPOC creators and specially Black, Queer creators have found life changing success and popularity on the platform. Where do they go and what do they do now?
Social media certainly comes with it’s danger and societal ills but it has also become the great equalizer that makes every one a reporter. Recorded videos of police brutality, footage of missing people and broadcasted bad behavior of racists in public have arguably brought more justice to the Black community than any law enforcement agency ever has. The compounded levels of persecution that come with Intersectionality mean that members of the Black LGBTQ community face all of the prejudice and lack of opportunity of Blackness coupled with the homophobia and Transphobia that comes with Queerness. That means fewer opportunities by far, less access to self-promotion whether you are a brand, musician, creator or personality as well as the loss of community that is statically invaluable and life saving for members of marginalized communities. It may sound crazy, but not only may the TikTok ban end people’s careers, it may be the caralyst to some people in crisis, taking their own lives.
The crux of the TikTok ban is the Chinese ByteDance ownership of the platform that opponents and politicians insist is both a national security risk and a way for the Communist country to both access American data and disseminate dangerous rhetoric secretly. They were given the option to sell the platform to an American company or be banned in the United States upon the passage of legislation that would theoretically allow them to do so. TikTok is used by 150 Million people in the United States. Bytedance has refused to sell but has incorporated further security measures to block American data compromise. The bill to ban TikTok has bi-partisan support and President Biden has expressed his willingness to sign it. Critics of the ban question how much the ban has to do with national security or whether it is a coordinated plan to allow companies like Meta (FB, IG) to take over and to stop movements, like the Pro-Palestine campaign, that gained major traction through TikTok.
If the ban continues, by January 19th, TikTok will be “banned,” leaving the only last minute saves being the Supreme Court ruling the ban unconstitutional based on the violation of the Freedom of Speech or President Trump attempting to stall it out, but even his options are limited if the Supreme Court upholds the ruling. The Supreme Court will hear arguments on January 10th.
At the same time, residents of 17 states woke up New Years Day with an inability to access several popular porn sites like Porn Hub. Laws passed in states like Florida forced porn sites to verify the ages of users by collecting personal identifying information and copies of IDs and passports. Although ensuring only adults are on sites with “adult content” is a positive step, opponents insist this is a dangerous level of sensitive information to be required for use of the sites. To avoid the potential implications, Porn Hub blocked users from the effected states from accessing the site. When viewers in those states try to visir the site, they are met with a lengthly letter and video from porn star, Cherie DeVille that basically says you better take it up with your elected officials.
Porn is hardly a LGBTQ-exclusive pastime but there are many, many Queer folks who both watch and make adult content. There is a real fear that the block could effect Queer creators in the way the shut down of Back Page effected the livelihood and safety of BIPOC Trans fs workers. In addition to the puritanical implications that banning porn come with and it’s close connection to the attempted eradication of Queerness from society.
In the political climate that has already targeted LGBTQ and Black communities and an administration who rode to the White House on a wave of hate and oppression, there is no question that Black, Queer communities will feel the effects of both these bans and all of the upcoming legislation first and strongest.
Regardless of the Supreme Court decision, TikTok will not disappear immediately. It will just become impossible to download from the Apple or Google Play stores. Meaning you also will no longer be able to update it. Eventually that will make it unusable. Many Porn Hub and similar site users are attempting to utilize VPNs that basically block the ability to tell where you are accessing the site from. There was a 1000% jump in VPN downloads in the state of Florida on January 1st. The use of VPNs however, can also be dangerous because of data breaches and phony providers.
Lavelle’s emotional video concludes with him saying, “it’s a really scary time for me right now, in the midst of me being so happy too. This is such a weird feeling. I wanted to share that and get that off of my heart just in case or however this plays out. I just had to say thank you. Ya’ll know I mean it. Ya’ll have done so much for me. You’ve changed my life.”
Same Lavelle, same.