FEATURED TikTok is urging users to call Congress about a looming ban to 170 million Americans of their Constitutional right to free expression

[Mr.LV]

TikTok is urging users to call Congress about a looming ban​

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A push notification warns that the move ‘strips 170 million Americans of their Constitutional right to free expression​

TikTok is urging users to call Congress about a looming ban

A full-screen notice asks users to call their representatives

www.theverge.com

As support grows for a bill in Congress that would effectively ban TikTok in the US, the video platform is trying to rally support among a key group: its own users.
TikTok sent users in the US a push notification on Wednesday, warning that “Congress is planning a total ban of TikTok” that would “[strip] 170 million Americans of their Constitutional right to free expression.”

The page says that a ban would “damage millions of businesses, destroy the livelihoods of countless creators across the country, and deny artists an audience.” The alert includes a way for users to find their representative and call their office.

Screenshot: Mia Sato / The Verge
The notification comes shortly after the White House expressed support for a bipartisan bill directed at TikTok, which is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance. The bill — called the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act — is in response to the perceived national security risks of TikTok, particularly around how the company collects user data. The bill would require that TikTok break off from ByteDance or risk being removed from app stores in the US.

This isn’t the first bill of its kind; some members of Congress have been trying to ban the app for years. Some city and state governments have banned TikTok from being installed on government devices, and last year Montana became the first state to actually ban the app — though that ban was blocked by a judge and is currently making its way through the courts. If passed, the new bill — which the American Civil Liberties Union argues would violate the First Amendment — will likely face legal challenges as well.

TikTok has previously appealed to its users as political pressure has mounted. In 2023, as support for a different bill was gaining steam, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew appeared in a video posted to the official TikTok profile to warn users and ask them to essentially sound off in the comments. TikTok didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment about the push notification and what other efforts it has planned in response to the newest bill.



UPDATE:

 

[Mr.LV]

 

[deadeye]

Good.

 

[Rubato]

Whatever damage they trying to prevent has already been done, now it’s just about “tough on China” (lmao) optics

 

[Chicity]

Rest In Piss.... even tho it won't actually be banned

 

[Rubato]

Temu app reads text messages and can access photos on your phone, China done found a way to get your shit somehow regardless

 

[Freeman]

Even though I use tik tok a lot weighing all the misinformation spread on it and the probability China has a backdoor into people's phones it can go.

 

[mike030270]

If it does get banned then people will just navigate to another app

 

[Ccslim]

Even though I use tik tok a lot weighing all the misinformation spread on it and the probability China has a backdoor into people's phones it can go.

Its not about protecting your information from China, META has been lobbying for months to get TikTok banned. Also US companies sell your information overseas so what does it matter if they have it, because most likely already had it before TikTok. Until there is GDPR legislation this is stupid.

Another part of this, is they are upset they can't control the flow of information as Younger Millenials and Gen Z prefer tiktok over tradition media; see Israel Palestine

 

[mike030270]

Its not about protecting your information from China, META has been lobbying for months to get TikTok banned. Also US companies sell your information overseas so what does it matter if they have it, because most likely already had it before TikTok. Until there is GDPR legislation this is stupid.

Another part of this, is they are upset they can't control the flow of information as Younger Millenials and Gen Z prefer tiktok over tradition media; see Israel Palestine

You can go through the process of telling a company you use not to share your information. Most people don't do it though

 

[Chicity]

I'm always leery about ppl that try to sell me shit they themselves don't use

Social media as whole needs better regulations so this just a continuation of sweeping out the mess

 

[VIBE]

 

[Mr.LV]

 

[Dwayne]

Every 10 videos is somebody selling something in the TikTok shop.

Bam that shit lol

 

[SneakDZA]

these cellphone crack zombies will just find some other app to rot their brains on.

 

[Ccslim]

Its looking like it wont get banned atleast not in an election year. Those up for relection aint trying to touch this even with the ADL/AIPAC pressure

 

[Swabbie]

Fuck TikTok.

Problem is, though, they lying about the reasoning. If they cared about consumer safety, TikTok wouldn't be the only app on the chopping block. I'm not going to mourn that app but I'm not praising Washington over this. This is the will of special interests (Meta, Google, etc.) at play.

 

[Old Man Cain]

I like tiktok but on the big scale of things FB/Whatsapp/IG and Google are 10 times more intrusive than tiktok ever was/is lol that's not even up for debate

 

[GNS]

I like tiktok but on the big scale of things FB/Whatsapp/IG and Google are 10 times more intrusive than tiktok ever was/is lol that's not even up for debate

I don't like or fuck with none of that shit.
The excerpts that gets posted on here make it seem like all people do is show their whole ass on there; literally and figuratively.

From the disgusting coons to misinformation to dumb shit etc

If u gonna ban one you have to ban them all and I don't see how they can make an argument around that.

Using scare tactics like "this app has the younger generation thinking differently than how we want them" isn't good enough for shit.

foh

 

[Rubato]

Even though I use tik tok a lot weighing all the misinformation spread on it and the probability China has a backdoor into people's phones it can go.

They don’t need a back door, they can knock on the front door and ask TikTok for what they want. Back doors are for countries like the US who at least have ostensible privacy laws.