On Thursday morning, TikTok sent a push notification to U.S. users asking them to call their local representatives to “stop the TikTok shutdown.”The application refers to Bipartisan bill gains momentum in Congress this week This could ban TikTok entirely.
A push notification to TikTok users seen by Gizmodo said “Congress is planning a total ban on TikTok.” “Speak up now — before your government strips 170 million Americans of their constitutional right to free speech… Let Congress know what TikTok means to you and tell them to vote no.”
The push notification includes a space to enter your zip code and a “Call Now” button to immediately call your local member of Congress. TikTok has more than 150 million U.S. users, and a bill passed by Congress could cut off access to all users. Lawmakers from both parties on the special committee of the Communist Party of China drafted the bill. The bill would ban TikTok from U.S. app stores unless the app’s parent company, China’s ByteDance, gives up control of TikTok.
Despite TikTok CEO Shou Chew’s assurances that the Chinese government will not control the app, U.S. lawmakers worry that China has too much influence over Americans on TikTok.FBI Director Christopher Wray said TikTok ‘screams’ national security concerns Because of the connection with China.
“This bill is important and we welcome this step,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said About this bill.
The bill would allow the FBI and other intelligence agencies to identify social media apps such as TikTok that are controlled by foreign adversaries. The president could then ban those products from appearing in online app stores. There is an exception to the ban that requires apps to cut ties with foreign adversaries within 180 days of designation.
NBC reports The bill will be sent to the House of Representatives on Thursday for future voting. TikTok is doing everything it can to avoid being banned or defunded by ByteDance. The push notification sent out on Thursday showed the Chinese social media giant’s intense focus.
This looming ban on TikTok appears to be more persuasive than previous attempts. 2020, President Trump says he will ban TikTok Although his attempts were blocked due to its ties to China, no ban occurred. At the time, a court called Trump’s decision to ban TikTok “arbitrary and capricious” because it failed to consider alternatives to the popular social media app. The current ban appears to provide TikTok with at least one option to avoid a ban, although the company may not be happy with it.