If you ban TikTok, I will find you and shoot you... and cut you into pieces
Ominous message one US law maker received for taking on social media app
THE voice in a phone message left for Thom Tillis was laughing but the words were ominous.
‘If you ban TikTok I will find you, shoot you and cut you into pieces,’ one caller said, giggling.
Another threatened to kill the North Carolina senator, then take their own life.
The politician has received around 1,000 calls about TikTok since backing legislation that proposes to ban the video-sharing app in the US if its Chinabased owner doesn’t sell its stake.
President Joe Biden has said he would grant the bill, passed by 362 votes to 65 earlier this month, after hearing TikTok posed a threat to national security.
Supporters say the unprecedented ban is needed to ensure China doesn’t access private data from the app’s 170million US users or influence them through its algorithms.
But TikTok is fighting back and has been urging users to call their Senate representatives, even providing a link to their phone numbers.
‘The government will take away the community you and millions of other Americans love,’ one pop-up message on the app reads.
Mr Tillis, who supports a bill to ban the platform, has reported the death threat to police.
‘What I hated about that was it demonstrates the enormous influence social media platforms have on young people,’ he said.
While he admits a ban is current unlikely, inaction is not an option, he added. ‘It can’t be the wild, wild west,’ he said. TikTok’s aggressive and extensive lobbying campaign is the latest attempt by the tech industry to head off any new legislation – and it’s a fight they usually win.
For years, Congress has failed to act on bills that would protect users’ privacy, protect children from online threats and make companies more liable for content.
‘I would hate for us to maintain our perfect zero batting average on tech legislation,’ said the
Senate intelligence committee chair, Mark Warner.
The former tech exec says the bill is the best chance to regulate these companies after years of inaction.
And the threatening calls from users are a good example of why the legislation is needed, he added.
‘It makes the point, do we really want that kind of messaging being able to be manipulated by the Communist Party of China?’ he said.
Some lawmakers are worried that blocking TikTok could anger millions of young people, who are a crucial segment of voters in November’s election.
Vice-president Kamala Harris recently acknowledged the app had become an important income stream for many people in the US.
She said the White House did not intend to ban it but instead deal with its ownership.
‘We understand its purpose and its utility and the enjoyment that it gives a lot of folks,’ she told ABC’s This Week.
And Republicans are also divided on the issue. While most support the bill, others are wary of over-regulation.
‘A TikTok ban is not just a misguided overreach; it’s a draconian measure that stifles free expression, tramples constitutional rights and disrupts the economic pursuits of millions of Americans,’ Kentucky senator Rand Paul posted on X. However, Republican Mike
AP/REUTERS
Rounds said classified briefings for lawmakers convinced the vast majority of senators they have to address the collection of data from the app and TikTok’s ability to push out misinformation to users.
‘It’s a clear danger to our country if we don’t act,’ he added.
Others argue regulating the burgeoning artificial intelligence industry is a higher priority.
TIKTOK... A THREAT OR JUST A FUN APP? Text the word VIEWS followed by your comment, name and where you live to 65700. Standard network charges apply. Or email: mail@ukmetro.co.uk
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