When Cassidy Jacobson was 13 years old, she posted a video of herself dancing on the popular app TikTok.
Little did she know then that six years later, her Casssidy_J account would have 1.5 million followers on the short-form video platform, with fans drawn to her love of dance and hair care.
Ms Jacobson dreams of using her success on TikTok — an app used by 150 million Americans — to start her own curly hair care line and inspire others to love their natural curls.
That dream and those of other TikTok creators may be dashed as many in Congress pressure President Joe Biden's administration to ban the popular Chinese-owned social media app in the US, alleging it could be used for data collection, content censorship and harm to children's mental health.
Last week, TikTok said the Biden administration demanded its Chinese owners divest their stakes or face a potential ban.
Ms Jacobson is preparing for the possibility that she may have to take her content elsewhere if the Chinese company ByteDance, which owns TikTok, is no longer allowed to provide the app in the US.
“TikTok is kind of rocky right now and the goal of a content creator is to grow yourself across platforms to have a solid community, you don’t just want to focus on one app,” she told Reuters.
Whether it is creating all new content for YouTube reels or taking her TikTok content and transferring it over to Instagram, the influencer is making sure to diversify her content.
At a tense congressional hearing on Thursday, TikTok chief executive Shou Zi Chew faced tough questions.
“We do not promote or remove content at the request of the Chinese government,” Mr Chew told the hearing and added that the app was “free from any manipulation”.
Alternatives
There are less severe options than banning the app outright, said Freedom House Research director for technology and democracy Allie Funk.
“Congress could pass a robust privacy law and bolster requirements for companies to be more transparent about their operations and practices,” she told Reuters.
She suggests a comprehensive privacy law to limit data collection from TikTok along with regular audits to ensure transparency.
While it’s still not clear if the bill introduced by senators to grant the Commerce Department power to ban foreign technology will pass, many TikTok influencers are advocating preservation without prohibition.
“There needs to be protection for users on apps. I think the only way is for the government holding ginormous companies accountable, whether they’re US-based or they’re based in China,” Ms Jacobson said.
Regardless of the country, she believes that privacy breaches by anyone harms everyone.
That is a sentiment echoed by some Democratic members of Congress, some of whom worry about the political fallout of Mr Biden banning something so beloved by many young voters.
Trans Chicana TikTok creative NaomiHearts, known for her self-love content, believes a ban would dampen her faith in Mr Biden, for whom she voted in 2020.
“We put our trust in someone, in my mind there’s no good politician,” said Naomi, who declined to give her full name.
“But I put him in office because I believed in what he stood for and as time goes by, I think this is going to affect a lot of people’s opinions.”
Naomi said she is a bit reluctant to switch over to other platforms, as TikTok has given her opportunities that she has not found elsewhere.
Beyond popularity and fans, TikTok backers believe it provides livelihoods, paths to social change and a sense of community.
“As a trans person in this world, they [society] don’t really care about us, so to be able to make six figures a year because of TikTok, and brands reaching out to me because of that app, it’s wild,” she said.
Countries recognising Palestine
France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
The biog
Name: Salem Alkarbi
Age: 32
Favourite Al Wasl player: Alexandre Oliveira
First started supporting Al Wasl: 7
Biggest rival: Al Nasr
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
How Beautiful this world is!
The Bio
Name: Lynn Davison
Profession: History teacher at Al Yasmina Academy, Abu Dhabi
Children: She has one son, Casey, 28
Hometown: Pontefract, West Yorkshire in the UK
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite Author: CJ Sansom
Favourite holiday destination: Bali
Favourite food: A Sunday roast
Mina Cup winners
Under 12 – Minerva Academy
Under 14 – Unam Pumas
Under 16 – Fursan Hispania
Under 18 – Madenat
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
The biog
Name: Dhabia Khalifa AlQubaisi
Age: 23
How she spends spare time: Playing with cats at the clinic and feeding them
Inspiration: My father. He’s a hard working man who has been through a lot to provide us with everything we need
Favourite book: Attitude, emotions and the psychology of cats by Dr Nicholes Dodman
Favourit film: 101 Dalmatians - it remind me of my childhood and began my love of dogs
Word of advice: By being patient, good things will come and by staying positive you’ll have the will to continue to love what you're doing
