Lawmakers get thousands of calls in support of TikTok amid threat of US ban
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Lawmakers across the United States are getting thousands of calls from constituents about TikTok. Members of the House of Representatives passed a bill to force the social media app’s parent company to separate from its Chinese investors.
Local business owners say TikTok has boosted their revenue, so they don’t want the app to go away.
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At Vixen Ready Art Factory in Northlake Mall the walls are covered with colorful canvases. The owners cultivate a community of creatives who they cater to on platforms like TikTok. Manager Curtis Dawayne Martin III says it has been a big boost for business.
“TikTok brings in a lot of revenue for all companies, all businesses. TikTok reaches people,” Martin said. “Unlike Instagram, Facebook, YouTube. It’s not like TikTok, this is different.”
TikTok’s parent company Byte Dance is based in Beijing and owned by global investors including some who are Chinese. Like the majority of U.S. representatives in the Carolinas, Republican Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina voted in favor of the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act. It would force TikTok executives to buy out Chinese investors or the app would be banned.
“I don’t know whether the Senate is going to take it up and vote on it,” said Norman, whose district includes York and Lancaster counties. “But if they let this lie, it’s a national security threat, just like the balloon was and everything else China’s doing in the South Pacific sees what they’re doing in Taiwan.”
The app offers a pop-up for its “Keep TikTok Campaign” to help voting-age users find their senator or congressman. Users had the option to type in their Zip codes to make calls to their congressional representatives.
“They’ve got a big force put together, but look at the money they stand to lose,” Norman said. “But now even more so than the money, look at the information they’re getting? So, they’ve got every incentive to have young people call us have middle aged people have everybody call us.”
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) says he got a threatening voicemail from a TikTok user about possible action against the app.
“I’ll shoot you and find you and cut you into pieces,” the user said on the recorded line.
Queen City News reached out to TikTok about the Tillis call. A spokesperson said “Threats like this are unacceptable and we condemn this in the strongest possible terms. Clearly, there are millions of Americans who want to and have the right to speak out against the ban bill that would trample Americans’ constitutional rights of free expression, but we must all do so in a respectful, civil manner.”
The future of TikTok depends on a Senate vote that hasn’t been scheduled at this time. Martin hopes to keep using the app as a marketing tool.
“It supports us. You feel what I’m saying it really puts our name out there,” Martin said. “So, I’m saying it gives a lot of people a way to make money, put money in their pockets. I feel like without TikTok, we gon’ be able to survive, but it would be a major impact on us.” Martin said.
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Senate leaders say they are interested in writing their own bill to address the privacy concerns with TikTok. Leaders could start working on a bill after their Easter break.
Back in 2019, TikTok (formerly musical.ly) paid the Federal Trade Commission $5.7 million in a settlement over concerns of violating Child Privacy Laws. TikTok has launched Project Texas which houses all data collected in Oracle offices in Texas. TikTok has invested billions of dollars in the facility and hired thousands of American employees to work there, but some lawmakers believe that’s not enough.
“The only thing that will protect it is do away with the ownership, Chinese ownership, or any adversary,” Norman said. “That’s the only metric you can use to stop TikTok and any window dressing is not gonna get the job done.”
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