American politicians are facing a barrage of calls from TikTok users who are upset about plans to compel its parent company to sell the popular social media app. A bill proposing the sale within six months or facing a ban was approved by a US congressional panel recently. This bill, expected to go to a full House floor vote next week, has been proposed by a bipartisan group of 20 lawmakers who make up the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party.
Users of TikTok received notifications urging them to take action to prevent a potential shutdown of the app. The pushback from TikTok’s users has led to a surge in calls to congressional offices, with one congressman even reporting being contacted by concerned children regarding the matter.
TikTok, in response, confirmed that it had urged its users to contact their representatives and oppose the proposed measure. However, this mobilization has drawn criticism from some members of Congress, with the committee chairwoman questioning why lawmakers are complaining about hearing from their constituents.
The bill aims to safeguard national security by addressing concerns that TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, may have ties to the Chinese Communist Party. Lawmakers allege that such connections pose a threat to US national security, a claim that ByteDance and TikTok have consistently denied.
Under the terms of the bill, ByteDance would be required to sell TikTok or face removal from mobile app stores in the US. However, there are no provisions for individual users of the app to face legal repercussions.
Proponents of the bill argue that it does not amount to a ban on TikTok but rather provides ByteDance with a window of approximately six months to comply. However, TikTok has labeled the legislation as an outright ban, expressing concerns about its impact on First Amendment rights and small businesses that rely on the platform for growth and job creation.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has echoed these concerns, criticizing the bill as an attempt to score political points during an election year. The ACLU emphasized that many Americans depend on TikTok for information and communication, highlighting the potential ramifications of the proposed legislation.
This latest move by American lawmakers represents ongoing efforts to regulate TikTok, which is already banned on US government devices. Despite previous attempts by former President Donald Trump to ban TikTok and other Chinese-owned apps, legal obstacles prevented these measures from being implemented.
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