ACADIA PARISH, La. — The United States Supreme Court ruled Friday to uphold a congressional ban on TikTok unless its owner agrees to sell the app, a decision that could significantly impact millions of American users, including content creators right here in Acadiana.
TikTok, a short-form video streaming platform, grew in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic and has continued to expand since.
With data privacy and security concerns at the forefront, the ban may lead to local creators who use the app for their businesses to explore other platforms to share their content.
KATC spoke with Hal LeJeune, known as "Cookin’ with Hal the Cajun Lady Accent" on TikTok, to discuss her videos and why the app is so important for creators like her.
LeJeune has amassed nearly 250,000 followers on TikTok since she began her journey as a content creator in 2022.
LeJeune creates delicious and traditional recipes, showcasing her Cajun heritage and personality.
“I love to cook. The love I have for cooking made me think, ‘Well, let me try this.’ I was actually home bored, so I put a cooking video up there, and me and my Cajun old accent, it just went somewhere,” she said.
Her videos not only entertain and educate but also draw consumers to local stores like Gary Matte Hardware and Cookware in Rayne, where she also works.
“With me doing all these videos, it’s really brought in people from all over the United States to walk in this door. That’s another reason why these platforms are pretty important, and not everybody can understand that,” she told KATC.
While she credits much of her success to her personality and authenticity, LeJeune recognizes that social media platforms, such as TikTok, played a role in expanding her online presence, which ultimately lead her to launch her own seasoning brand.
“It’s been two and a half years, and I’m still in shock. It still feels like a dream,” LeJeune said.
Regardless of the outcome of the TikTok ban, she remains optimistic and encourages her followers to connect with her on other social media platforms.
“Yes, I can live without it, but it’s going to put a damper on businesses like what we have, especially when I work so hard to post videos daily on it,” she told KATC.
LeJeune has goals of increasing her following even further and is working on a cookbook. Click here to follow along her journey.
