TikTok phone call barrage to Capitol Hill backfires
WASHINGTON – Days before the House overwhelmingly approved a bill that would force TikTok’s parent company to sell the app or face an effective ban in the U.S., the platform implored users to call their representatives and urge them to vote against the legislation.
The social media company’s push resulted in a barrage of phone calls to lawmakers’ offices. But it did little to persuade members skeptical of TikTok’s protections for American users – and could have instead fueled their opposition to the app.
In fact, the effort likely helped the bill get fast-tracked to the House floor for its inevitable passage.
Last week, the bill was approved by the House Energy and Commerce Committee by a unanimous vote, an extremely unusual occurrence for Congress. On Wednesday, the House passed the legislation by an overwhelming, bipartisan vote of 352-65.
The push “ticked off a lot of people,” Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., said Tuesday, noting that a number of the callers were children.
The legislation’s proponents argue that the app, immensely popular with young people for its customized song and dance features on short video clips, poses national security risks. TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, is based in Beijing and may expose user data to Chinese government surveillance.
For its part, TikTok says it stores all American user data in a U.S.-based entity, and the storage is solely managed by the company’s U.S.-based security. The company’s efforts, however, have done little to alleviate concerns.
Some lawmakers saw the lobbying campaign from TikTok as further evidence the app is being abused by the Chinese Communist Party, a claim leaders have raised for years as its popularity skyrocketed.