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TikTok Urges Users To Fight Proposed U.S Ban

By Hugh Fort in US business news, posted March 8, 2024

TikTok is urging its users to fight a plan in the U.S that could see the popular app banned.

Lawmakers in Washington put forward legislation this week urging TikTok to sever its connections to its Chinese parent company ByteDance.

The bill says the app could even be banned in the US.

TikTok has now responded by urging its users to fight the ban, displaying a notification saying “Stop a TikTok shutdown.”

This was alongside a prompt for users to voice their opposition by contacting their congressional representatives and urging a "NO" vote.

The New York Times reports the move led to a barrage of calls to the phones of Congress members.

One aide reported their office received around 100 calls, while another mentioned over 1,000.

A staff member even shared a screenshot on X, showing TikTok had sent a notification to certain users.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee passed the bill unanimously (50-0) on Thursday.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise announced via X the House would vote on the measure the following week.

The bill is among various initiatives over the past year targeting TikTok over national security concerns related to ByteDance's ties to Beijing.

Bill co-sponsors, Republican Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin and Democrat Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois, criticized TikTok's campaign as deceptive.

The condemned it as an interference by a foreign adversary in the U.S. legislative process.

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Legislation could see total TikTok ban

TikTok, in a X post, argued the bill would essentially lead to a total ban in the U.S., but did not disclose the extent of its campaign or the strategy behind it.

The company has previously countered lawmakers' security concerns, stating its U.S. operations and user data are insulated from the broader company.

The bill's journey into law remains uncertain.

House Speaker Mike Johnson expressed his support, and the next step involves Senate consideration.

Senator Mark Warner of Virginia, who has proposed his own measures against the app, voiced some reservations about the bill's direct mention of TikTok and ByteDance, which might fuel legal challenges.

However, he acknowledged his respect for Congressman Gallagher and his intention to examine the bill closely.

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