Yesterday, the US House of Representatives swiftly voted on a bill that would force TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to sell the app or risk being banned in the US. In light of the bill moving onto the Senate, TikTok CEO Shou Chew has tapped into the app’s 170 million users, telling them to protect their constitutional rights and let their voices be heard.
The “TikTok Bill,” titled Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, passed the House Wednesday morning by a sweeping vote of 352-65 with bipartisan support, including from House Speaker Mike Johnson and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Even though the bill was heavily supported in the House, whether or not the bill will make it through the Senate remains unclear – if it does, President Biden has said he will sign it.
Introduced March 5 by Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis) and Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), the bill was unanimously approved by a House committee in a 50-0 vote. If the bill is signed into law, ByteDance would have 165 days to comply, or else TikTok would be effectively banned in both Apple and Google’s app stores and web hosting services.
In light of the bill moving through the House, TikTok CEO, Shou Chew, has taken to the app and asked its 170 million users to share their stories with their Senators, “protect your constitutional rights,” and “make your voices heard.”
The video has racked up 20.3 million views since posting last night, 3.6 million likes, and almost 100,000 comments in under 14 hours.
In the comment section, it’s clear that TikTok users are rallying around the CEO and the popular app. “You got this Mr. Shou 🙏🏻” reads the top comment, with 378K likes. “SHOU WE TRUST YOU 😭❤️” reads another, with 195K likes, likely a nod to the concern of many citizens and lawmakers that Chinese-owned TikTok can’t be trusted with user data, given the fraught relationship between the US and China.
The comments pour on, ranging from steadfast support of Shou to anecdotes about how TikTok is the only platform that users trust and feel safe actually using.
The White House, for its part, is hoping that the Senate acts quickly. White House Press Secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, told reporters on Air Force One:
We will look to the Senate to take swift action. As we have said … this bill is important, and we welcome ongoing efforts to address the threat posed by certain technology services operating in the United States that put at risk Americans’ personal information and broader national security, including through the manipulation by foreign powers of Americans’ views and beliefs.
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