Chinese-owned social media app TikTok is leveraging its American users to lobby Congress against legislation that could ban the app in the United States. TikTok sent a push notification to its users on Wednesday, warning about Congress’s plans, the ramifications being “170 million Americans stripped of their Constitutional right to free expression.”
The social media company stated that the ban would adversely affect millions of businesses and creators nationwide – impeding artists’ accessibility to audiences. Users were provided with information on how to contact their representatives. The National Pulse previously reported that TikTok has ramped up efforts to lobby lawmakers in the US, spending $7.4 million in 2023 — a $2.1 million increase from their 2022 spending.
Despite the user-driven lobbying campaign, the legislation — which could force TikTok’s Chinese parent company ByteDance to divest from the US version of the app — passed through the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Thursday by a unanimous (50-0) vote. Titled the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, the legislation is sponsored by Reps. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL).
TikTok is not alone in opposing the legislation. The American Civil Liberties Union argues that the bill infringes on the First Amendment. However, Reps. Gallagher and Krishnamoorthi contend their bill only focuses on regulating corporate ownership by countries deemed hostile to the United States — including China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.
