A law that would require TikTok’s parent business, located in China, to sell the app within six months of its approval or face a ban, was approved by a US congressional panel.
Citing national security concerns, the White House supports a House of Representatives committee that introduced the proposal.
According to TikTok, small companies that depend on the app and free speech will suffer from the proposed legislation.
Users are encouraged to call Congressmen to express their disapproval.
The social media behemoth acknowledged to the BBC that it had informed TikTokers to “call your representative now” in order to request that they vote against the proposal.
The BBC was informed by a congressional aide that their office had received numerous calls.
The New York Times said that several phone lines were overloaded and that some of the callers seemed to be teens.
Next week, the entire House floor is anticipated to vote on the bill.
A bipartisan group of twenty congressmen, known as the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, have put out the proposal.
It was unanimously approved by the Energy and Commerce Committee on Thursday, 50-0. It would become law after the Senate gave its approval.
“Why are members of Congress complaining about hearing from their constituents?” was the platform’s response to the committee chairwoman’s criticism of TikTok’s user mobilization. Sincerely, isn’t that their responsibility?”
The legislation promises to “protect the national security of the United States from the threat posed by foreign adversary controlled applications” .
Legislators assert that ByteDance, the company behind TikTok, has ties to the Chinese Communist Party; both ByteDance and TikTok refute this claim.
The measure specifically mentions ByteDance, which would have to sell TikTok or risk having its software removed from US mobile app shops if it didn’t comply with its provisions.
It makes no mention of users of the app being subject to individual lawsuits.
“The leading enemy of the United States should not be in charge of a major media outlet in the country,” said Wisconsin Republican Mike Gallagher, the head of the committee.
Democrats from Illinois, Raja Krishnamoorthi said TikTok presented “critical threats to our national security” since its parent firm was “required to collaborate” with the political authorities of China.
The bill’s supporters contend that ByteDance is being given a window of roughly six months to comply, denying that the action equates to an outright ban on TikTok.
However, TikTok called the action “an outright ban… no matter how much the authors try to disguise it” in a statement that was uploaded to X.
“This legislation will trample the First Amendment rights of 170 million Americans and deprive 5 million small businesses of a platform they rely on to grow and create jobs.”
Allaying concerns, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) said that the action amounted to an attempt to obtain “cheap political points during an election year”.
The ACLU also emphasized how many Americans used the app for communication and information.
The proposed measure is the most recent effort by US politicians to impose restrictions on TikTok.
The software is prohibited on US government devices, despite the fact that President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign has an account.
A legal challenge prevented former US President Donald Trump’s effort to outlaw TikTok and Chinese-owned WeChat from ever taking effect.
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