Members of Congress have been inundated with calls from concerned citizens urging them to reconsider a bill that would ban TikTok in the United States.
The bill, which advanced out of the House Energy & Commerce Committee in a unanimous bipartisan vote, has sparked intense backlash from TikTok users who fear losing access to the platform.
Leading up to the committee vote, many TikTok users received notifications urging them to contact their representatives and oppose the ban.
These notifications warned that banning TikTok would infringe on Americans’ constitutional right to free expression and harm businesses and creators who rely on the platform.
Youth Urging Lawmakers to Block TikTok Bill (Credits: Fox Business)
The flood of calls to lawmakers included many young teenagers pleading not to “ban TikTok,” with some even making extreme threats. One caller threatened to commit suicide if the bill passed, while another threatened to assassinate a member of Congress who supported it.
Rep. Chip Roy, a lead co-sponsor of the bill, described the situation as chaotic, with offices receiving thousands of calls from impassioned TikTok users.
He noted that many lawmakers who were initially undecided quickly shifted their position after witnessing the intense response from TikTok users.
The backlash against the bill highlights TikTok’s significant influence over its users, particularly young people. Lawmakers are concerned that the Chinese-owned platform is using its technology to manipulate and influence users on political issues.
The bill, which has the support of House Speaker Mike Johnson, would require TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to divest the platform and other applications within 180 days or face a ban in the United States.
It also includes provisions to allow the executive branch to prohibit access to apps owned by foreign adversaries if they pose a national security threat.
TikTok has argued that the bill violates free speech rights and has vowed to separate U.S. user data from ByteDance through a third-party entity.
Despite these assurances, lawmakers remain skeptical and are pushing for stricter measures to address concerns about Chinese influence over American technology platforms.
