U.S. House of Representatives move to ban Tik Tok

On Mar. 13, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 352-65 to potentially ban the popular app TikTok. The bill “Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act” has been passed. The bill passed and states that the company that owns TikTok, ByteDance, has roughly six months to sign over the rights to the U.S. or the app will be banned.

   TikTok set a pop-up to show the first-time users opened the app after the bill saying “Stop a TikTok Shutdown.” This pop-up included a call now button which would lead viewers to a number to call Congress. It also included text saying the “government would be stripping 170 million Americans of their Constitutional right to free expression.”

   Many users got the same pop-up but instead of the title “Stop a TikTok Shutdown” it said, “Your Voice Can Help the TikTok Communities You Love” and “Your Freedom to Create Is At Risk.”

   Many users and creators are irritated with this bill. Some are going as far as saying that the government is wrong for focusing on banning the popular app. Adding that they should rather be focusing on the cost of living and other issues Americans are facing. 

   Singaporean entrepreneur Shou Zi Chew is the CEO of TikTok. Chew posted a video on TikTok under the TikTok account. He states in his TikTok that there is a great amount of misinformation floating around the internet right now. Mainly that the data invested in the platform is unsafe. 

   “Over the last few years, we have invested to keep your data safe and our platform free from outside manipulation.” Chew said. He follows this by saying that they will continue to keep users’ data safe. Chew also emphasized that if the bill is signed into law, that it will lead to the ban of the TikTok app, which leaves users to assume they will not sign over the app to the U.S.

   He furthers by saying that the bill’s sponsors stated that it was their goal to have it banned and he is concerned with power other social media companies will gain from the ban. Chow also voices his concern for the smaller business and creators that will lose money from the bill being passed. He estimated that 300,000 Americans would lose their jobs.  

   This video has over 156 thousand comments, 5.8 million likes, and 125 thousand shares. Many of the comments share the support for TikTok and the CEO. Multiple celebrities have participated in interviews as well as creating and sharing videos in support of TikTok. 

Sen. Laphonza Butler spoke to interviewers on TikTok and shared her concerns that the app provides. Her concerns mainly lie in how our national security is being protected and ensuring that the app is not persuading elections with an overwhelming amount of misinformation and disinformation. Pres. Biden had stated previously that if this bill reaches his desk, he will sign to pass it.