TikTok Has Asked Users to Call Congress and Boycott Plan to Ban Platform
In a surprising move on Thursday (3/7/24), a bill that would ban popular social media app TikTok unless its Chinese parent company sells it was passed out of committee by a bipartisan 50-0 vote.
The bill, known as the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, now heads to the full House for a vote. If it passes, the bill would bar app stores and web hosting services from hosting apps run by ByteDance, effectively banning TikTok unless the company severs ties with its Chinese parent company.
TikTok users received a message urging them to call Congress to oppose a bill that could lead to a ban of the platform in the U.S.
“Congress is planning a total ban of TikTok. Speak up now before your government strips 170 million Americans of their constitutional right to free expression.”
Lawmakers have signed off on a bill that would give TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, six months to sell to a U.S. buyer or face a ban. Former President Donald Trump attempted to ban TikTok through executive order, but the courts said NO after TikTok sued, arguing this would violate free speech and due process rights.
You love TikTok, so why are these people so worried about it that they want to ban it?
Critics worry about the amount of data users are providing to company, and they are concerned the Chinese government could force the company that owns TikTok to share that data making the platform an approved spying operation. The U.S. government hasn’t provided evidence of that happening so far. Some also worry about spread of misinformation as TikTok reached 1 billion users in just over five years, and more people are using social media exclusively as their number one news source.
3/14/24 UPDATE:
The House of Representatives passed legislation on Wednesday March 13th, giving TikTok two choices: find a buyer for the immensely popular video app, or face a nationwide ban in the U.S.
President Biden has indicated he would sign the law, but first it must clear the Senate, where it faces an uncertain future. NO date for that vote has been announced yet. In the short term, users will likely not notice any changes. And even if the Senate passes a companion bill, and the president signs it into law, there is a six-month deadline to sell, which could be prolonged by many court challenges.
Susan Saunders 3/8/24
