TikTok urges US users to call senators to vote no on TikTok ban

TikTok displayed a notification to some U.S. users on Friday, urging them to call their senators and ask them to vote no to a bill that could ban the popular short-form video app

March 16, 2024 02:53 pm | Updated 02:53 pm IST

Lawmakers complained their offices were inundated with calls from TikTok users opposing the legislation [File]

Lawmakers complained their offices were inundated with calls from TikTok users opposing the legislation [File] | Photo Credit: REUTERS

TikTok displayed a notification to some U.S. users on Friday, urging them to call their senators and ask them to vote no to a bill that would ban the popular short-form video app if it is not divested from Chinese tech company ByteDance.

"Tell your Senator how important TikTok is to you. Ask them to vote no on the TikTok ban," the notice said, which allowed users to enter their zip code to locate their senator's phone number.

"Now, if the Senate votes, the future of creativity and communities you love on TikTok could be shut down," the notice read.

On Wednesday, the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly voted to pass the bill giving ByteDance about six months to sell the U.S. assets of the app, or face a ban. The White House said the Senate should take "swift action," and President Joe Biden said he would sign the bill.

(For top technology news of the day, subscribe to our tech newsletter Today’s Cache)

"We'll continue informing our community about how the ban bill will affect them and what they can do to make their voices heard," a TikTok spokesperson said, adding the alert is only being served to users of voting age.

The alert was displayed when some people opened the app, and it also appeared when users searched "TikTok ban."

TikTok sent a similar alert to users ahead of the House vote, warning that "the government will take away the community that you and millions of other Americans love."

Lawmakers complained their offices were inundated with calls from TikTok users opposing the legislation.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.