After unveiling the latest U.S. policy attempt to wrest TikTok from Chinese control, the popular video app sent a push notification to its users urging them to contact their lawmakers. The subsequent flood of calls made MPs so angry that they voted unanimously in favor of the bill in a rare unanimous vote in the relevant committee, reports the US magazine Axios. The House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on the text next week and anything other than broad approval would probably be a surprise. US President Joe Biden has stated that he wants to pass the law.
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US MPs unite against TikTok
The bill, drafted by lawmakers from both political groups on the Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, aims to force ByteDance to sell TikTok within six months. Otherwise, the app would be banned from the app stores of Apple, Google and other US services. The aim is to protect US citizens from applications that are controlled by foreign adversaries. TikTok has long been a thorn in the side of the USA as the only major social network that is not controlled by a US company.
This is not the first time that TikTok has responded to the plans by appealing to users to take action themselves, The Verge reminds us. The push notification to potentially tens of millions of users ensured that MPs were literally flooded with calls. In some cases, phones had to be switched off completely, Axios reports. However, MPs criticize the claim made in the notification that Parliament is planning a ban is a lie. The aim is to end Chinese control. Overall, it seems as if TikTok has antagonized MPs with this action and ensured a rare unity between Democrats and Republicans.
The committee chairman responsible for the bill, Mike Gallagher explained after of the notification and calls: “Here is an example of an adversary-controlled application that lies to the American people and interferes with the legislative process.” In a strange way, this would almost prove what ByteDance is always accused of. According to a reporter from Politico TikTok's attempt completely backfired, MPs who weren't sure how they felt about it would now support it. But also because ByteDance and TikTok are mentioned by name, courts will likely ultimately decide if it is actually implemented in this form.
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