TikTok advised its users to reach out to their representatives. According to lawmakers, the ensuing events highlight the need for an ownership reorganization.
On Thursday morning, certain TikTok users received a push notification on their phones that sounded urgent, prompting them to “Take action” and stand against… a TikTok shutdown
The notification directed users to a webpage where they could input their zip code. Afterwards, they were given a direct link to contact their representative in congress. According to lawmakers, their offices were overwhelmed with phone calls due to this prompt.
And the calls to action
The situation is ongoing. TikTok has recently released a notification to its users on Friday, alerting them of potential risks to their ability to create content. The message urges users to take action and includes a link to make a call.
On Friday, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, a Democrat from Illinois and the top member on the House Select Committee for Strategic Competition between the US and the Chinese Communist Party, stated that this reinforces his concerns with the app, whose owner is the Chinese tech company ByteDance. Critics argue that ByteDance, being a Chinese company, presents potential security threats.
The proposed legislation requires ByteDance to sell off TikTok in order to avoid facing restrictions.
Krishnamoorthi stated that the bill received numerous votes from colleagues because they are concerned about the possibility of a foreign country using geolocation on social media apps to target minors and manipulate our political processes by contacting Congress members and influencing elections. This is the primary reason why this legislation is urgent.
The legislation received support from both parties as it made its way through the House Energy and Commerce Committee, but it has faced criticism from former President Donald Trump. On Thursday evening, he posted on his Truth Social app, “Eliminating TikTok would only benefit Facebook and Zuckerschmuck as they would double their profits,” and referred to the social media platform as “a real Enemy of the People!”
Representative Mike Gallagher, the Republican from Wisconsin who leads the special committee on competition, stated to CBS News on Friday that enacting the legislation would not be the end for TikTok. He expressed concern regarding the app’s ownership by ByteDance and its potential as a significant national security risk.
“All of the national security experts within the Biden administration have expressed concerns about the current ownership structure of TikTok and its potential threat to national security. Our goal is not to ban TikTok, but to separate it from its current ownership. It can be likened to a surgical procedure where we remove a tumor from a patient in order to ensure their survival,” stated Gallagher.
Aubrey Gelpieryn
Source: cbsnews.com