Shortly after that, US House of Representatives bans TikTokCEO Shou Chu urged users «to protect their constitutional rights». Chu also hinted that TikTok would file a legal action if the bill is finally passed.
«We won’t stop fighting and protecting you, — Chiu said in a video posted on X (Twitter). — We will continue to do everything we can, including using our legal rights, to protect this great platform we have built with you».
Our CEO Shou Chew's response to the TikTok ban bill: pic.twitter.com/7AnDYOLD96
— TikTok Policy (@TikTokPolicy) March 13, 2024
He also asked TikTok users in the United States to share their stories with friends, family, and senators.
«This bill, if it becomes law, will lead to a ban on TikTok in the United States,», Chu said. «Even the bill’s authors admit that’s their goal».
The bill, known as the «Protecting Americans from Programs Controlled by Foreign Adversaries Act», was passed by the House of Representatives with bipartisan support just days after it was introduced. If finalized, the bill would force TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to sell TikTok to an American company within 6 months or be banned from app stores and web hosting in the United States.
In his address, Chu said that banning TikTok would give «more power to several other social media companies».
TikTok has previously challenged bans at the state level. Last year, TikTok sued Montana, which banned the app in the state. A federal judge temporarily blocked the ban in November before it went into effect.
Last week, TikTok sent push notifications to more than 170 million users in the United States, urging them to call their representatives about the potential ban. The wave of notifications resulted in the House of Representatives staff being inundated with calls from high school students asking what «congressman» means. The lawmakers criticized the company, which they believed was trying to «interfere» in the legislative process.
Source: Engadget