Could TikTok actually go away?….

Yes….

Well?

Maybe…

In less than a month, TikTok could be banned in the U.S. — and the fate of a multibillion-dollar creator economy is at stake.

Why it matters: The global influencer industry is worth about $250 billion, Goldman Sachs estimates. TikTok is where the big money is, and where many influencers have built their largest and most loyal followings.

For many influencers, “this could be an extinction-level event,” says James Nord, founder and CEO of Fohr, an influencer marketing company.

Driving the news: The Supreme Court will hear arguments on Jan. 10 over whether the law to force a sale of TikTok from its parent company or face a ban is constitutional, Axios’ Maria Curi notes.

• TikTok is racing against the clock with a Jan. 19 ban looming.

Lawmakers have told Google and Apple to be ready to remove it from their U.S. app stores on Jan. 19.

• People who have already downloaded TikTok can keep using it for some time, but it will no longer update, making the app buggy and eventually useless.

Zoom out: TikTok has a stunning 170 million users in the U.S., and just 32% of Americans support a ban, according to a Pew Research Center survey.

• But lawmakers and experts have identified national security reasons to restrict the app as long as it holds its connection to China, including the spread of misinformation and espionage.

Zoom in: Some TikTok personalities are attempting to get ahead of the ban by asking followers to find them on Instagram or YouTube….

More…