The battle between Washington lawmakers and TikTok reached a new level this week as legislators introduced a bill calling for the popular app to sever ties with its Chinese parent company or face a ban in the United States. In response, TikTok launched a campaign urging users to oppose the legislation, leading to a flood of phone calls to Capitol Hill offices.
The message on the app read, “Stop a TikTok shutdown,” and prompted users to call their representatives to voice their support for the platform. By noon, congressional phone lines were overwhelmed with calls, with some users even reporting difficulty accessing the app until they made the call.
Lawmakers on the House Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously approved the bill, which aims to force TikTok’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, to sell the app due to concerns about national security risks. Representatives Mike Gallagher and Raja Krishnamoorthi, co-sponsors of the bill, criticized TikTok’s campaign as misleading and accused the app of interfering with the legislative process.
Despite TikTok’s efforts to rally users, the legislation still faces a long road to becoming law. Senator Mark Warner expressed concerns about the bill’s direct targeting of TikTok and ByteDance, but acknowledged the need to closely examine the proposed measures.
Digital strategist Mike Nellis praised TikTok’s organizing tactic but warned that it could backfire by highlighting the influence of a foreign-owned tech company in the U.S. Congress members received guidance on how to respond to the influx of calls, with scripts emphasizing the need for TikTok to sever its ties with China to ensure user data protection.
As the debate continues, the future of TikTok in the U.S. remains uncertain, with lawmakers and tech experts closely monitoring the developments in this high-stakes battle.
