Sarah Fitzgerald’s custom printing company, Fuzzy Loon Designs, exploded in popularity two years ago after she posted a TikTok video that went viral, amassing more than 10 million views and bringing her a boatload of new customers.

With the looming government-ordered ban on TikTok expected to shut down the platform Sunday, Fitzgerald says she is worried for the future of small Minnesota businesses like hers that have grown largely by attracting followers on the app.

“If it goes away, growing and continuing to sustain our current process is going to be really difficult,” said Fitzgerald, co-owner and founder of her Waite Park business.

On Friday, the Supreme Court unanimously upheld the pending ban. President-elect Donald Trump, who takes office Monday, said he would make the final decision on whether to enforce it. The ban was prompted by concerns that the Chinese government could influence American TikTok users or misuse their data because the app is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance.

In interviews, several small business owners and widely followed Minnesotan users said getting rid of TikTok will do more harm than good and limit their ability to connect with others. While Facebook and Instagram often guide users to videos that have high production values and no ties to the viewer’s area, TikTok will frequently recommend videos from regular people with no professional background in creating social media content. The suggested videos are also frequently tied to the user’s city or state, showcasing a local personality’s opinions.

“Just the relatability and the realness of TikTok is what I don’t want to lose,” said Charlene Clifford, who runs a candle business in Rush City called Crazy Candle Lady with 89,000 followers on TikTok. “I’ve heard people joking about how they’re trying to switch to Instagram reels, and it’s so bad over there.”

While some popular TikTok users, or “influencers,” have just as large a following on alternative apps, others will be losing their main source of viewership. In preparation for the app’s possible demise, TikToker Aubrey Regner said she has focused more on posting on Instagram over the last year. Regner gained a following after she moved to the Twin Cities from Florida in 2023, using TikTok to document her travels and experiences as someone new to Minnesota.

“Hopefully people transition somewhere else and find me again,” said Regner, who has roughly 84,000 followers for her account, “onlyaubss.”

Fitzgerald has similarly worked to build her following on other platforms and has maintained an email list for customers. Still, she estimates about three-quarters of her customers found her business on TikTok, where she has 320,000 followers.

“I have to worry, because it’s a big way that we reach all of our customers,” she said.

Popular Twin Cities TikTok videos often include reviews of local restaurants, lifestyle experiences and explorations of Minnesota’s natural areas. Regner said TikTok was an important avenue for her to find real-life friends.

“It was a huge resource to connect me to new things in the Twin Cities, as well as, like, people,” she said. “I’ve met some incredible people from the app, and for me, it’s never really been about the money or the views or anything like that.”

Many of the 170 million American TikTok users were holding out hope that the ban could be avoided by Sunday. Christopher Terry, an associate professor at the University of Minnesota who teaches courses on internet law, said he was not surprised that the Supreme Court upheld the ban, adding that it sets a “dangerous precedent” for protections on internet free speech.

“If the government only needs to make some vague implication that a website or platform presents some kind of national security risk and it can be banned, wow, that’s a really scary thought,” Terry said.

He added that he doubts a multibillion-dollar deal goes through to sell TikTok to a non-Chinese company before the ban takes effect Sunday.

There is also some hope that the app could be un-banned once President-elect Donald Trump takes office. Florida Rep. Mike Waltz, Trump’s pick for national security adviser, told Fox News on Wednesday that the incoming president wants to explore ways to “preserve” TikTok.

Terry, however, said that it would be “crazy” for Google or Apple to continue distributing TikTok in violation of the Supreme Court ruling even if Trump promised to not enforce the ban. By violating the ban, Google or Apple could be at risk of being fined $5,000 per TikTok user per day, potentially costing them billions of dollars.

Although Terry said he doesn’t care whether TikTok exists, he’s concerned this could be a slippery slope and lead to the rolling back of free speech protections on the internet.

In a 1997 Supreme Court case that pitted Attorney General Janet Reno against the American Civil Liberties Union, the court ruled in favor of protecting online freedom of speech, and said it was unconstitutional for Congress to regulate pornographic material. If courts continue to take down social media platforms, Terry said, he fears it could lead to websites being shut down by the government as well.

“I’m disappointed 170 million Americans are going to lose a mechanism they use for speech,” Terry said. “I think it sets a dangerous precedent for the next administration.”

“We are on the precipice,” Terry said. “We have already dodged a couple of bullets in a row at the Supreme Court on internet free speech.”

The Associated Press contributed to this story.