TikTok urges users to call Congress to save app in the US

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TikTok has urged users in the US to call on Congress to stop a shutdown of the app.

The alert from TikTok said, "Congress is planning a total ban of TikTok. Speak up now - before your government strips 170 million Americans of their constitutional right to free expression."

It then gave a call to action for users to 'Call now' to "let Congress know what TikTok means to you and tell them to vote NO."

Don't miss: TikTok facing potential ban in new bipartisan bill

This alert comes amidst a new bill US lawmakers introduced on Tuesday. The new bipartisan bill gives China's ByteDance 165 days, or the equivalent of six months, to divest TikTok.

If TikTok and ByteDance fail to separate, TikTok will face a ban in the US.

The bill, which 19 lawmakers have signed so far, is to address the national security risks posed by other applications controlled by foreign adversary companies.

Such apps, according to lawmakers, allow adversaries to surveil and influence the American public through the data users produce, and the information users share and consume.

If enacted, the app will no longer be available in app stores or accessible on US-based web hosting services.

Chairman Mike Gallagher said:

This is my message to TikTok: break up with the Chinese Communist Party or lose access to your American users.

“America’s foremost adversary has no business controlling a dominant media platform in the United States. TikTok’s time in the United States is over unless it ends its relationship with CCP-controlled ByteDance,” Gallagher added.

“Any technology—apps, software, language models—owned by foreign adversaries are unequivocal threats to our national security. We have every right to protect Americans’ constitutional rights, data privacy, and national security, and it’s only become clear over the last several years how dangerous these foreign-owned tech platforms truly are,” added Rep. Kt Cammack this week.

"This bill is an outright ban of TikTok, no matter how much the authors try to disguise it. This legislation will trample the First Amendment rights of 170 million Americans and deprive five million small businesses of a platform they rely on to grow and create jobs," said a TikTok spokesperson when MARKETING-INTERACTIVE reached out.

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