DETROIT (WXYZ) — "This wrap alone has the same amount of calories as this bundle of noodles," Jonathan Kung said in his most viewed TikToks.
Over 14.6 million people have watched Jonathan make noodles for breakfast in his Detroit kitchen.
"I still have a hard time every now and then processing how many people see a video," Jonathan said in our interview. "That's so many million eyes, like, that's crazy."
Crazy because Jonathan says he never set out to be a content creator. He worked as a line cook and chef in Detroit for more than a decade, posting his first TikTok during the pandemic with hundreds of thousands of followers soon to follow.
It's now his full-time job, and he's a pro, showing off his home set-up with light stands. His work has earned him enough to buy a home and create his dream office — his kitchen.
"I had hit my first million before I was over a year on TikTok," Jonathan said. "I knew the big milestone was like oh, more people follow me than live in the city."
TikTok has 170 million TikTok users globally, including University of Michigan professor Leah Litman.
She says she's more of a scroller, with her For You Page filling with books and dogs, and like a true Swifty...
"That's kind of what I use TikTok for, which again it's difficult for me to imagine it being some Kind of national security problem if anyone finds that out, but that's just me," Leah said.
The Federal Government couldn't disagree more.
As it stands, TikTok will be effectively banned by January 19th - if it's not sold by it's Chinese-based owner. that could change this Friday - when the supreme court hears arguments over the law's constitutionality. Professor Litman says concerns come down to data protection and influence from the Chinese government.
"They are concerned that the People's Republic of China would use the TikTok algorithm to covertly manipulate what content United States users see," Leah said.
TikTok and users arguing separately the law violates the First Amendment and promotes censorship.
"That rationale seems to be the federal government censoring certain information or deciding United States users aren't up for seeing it," Leah said.
Talks of banning TikTok started with President-Elect Trump's first term in July 2020. That January 19 deadline, with President-Elect Trump's inauguration one day later, he's now trying to hit pause. He's filed an Amicus Brief hoping to delay the deadline, and give his administration time to negotiate a solution.
"SCOTUS doesn't have the authority to just suspend the effective date of a law it doesn't think is unconstitutional," Leah said.
As someone who has made a living on TikTok, Jonathan worries this law could silence millions of Americans.
"We live check to check as a country by a ridiculous degree and just having all of that, or getting a piece of all of that means so much to so many people," Jonathan said.
