Source:
NurPhoto
/
Getty
/
TikTok
TikTok’s
run
in
the
US
over?
The
social
media
platform
is
trying
its
best
to
remain
on
smartphones
in
the
States,
but
the
US
Government
is
working
really
hard
to
end
its
stranglehold
on
social
media
content
creators.
Spotted
on
The
Verge,
TikTok
is
relying
on
its
users
to
contact
their
local
congress
members
as
a
bill
calling
for
the
app’s
ban
gains
support
in
Congress.
The
social
media
platform
sent
out
a
push
notification
warning
users
about
the
ban,
claiming
the
government
is
trying
to
strip
their
constitutional
rights
from
them.
Per
The
Verge:
TikTok
sent
users
in
the
US
a
push
notification
on
Wednesday,
warning
that
“Congress
is
planning
a
total
ban
of
TikTok”
that
would
“[strip]
170
million
Americans
of
their
Constitutional
right
to
free
expression.”
The
page
says
that
a
ban
would
“damage
millions
of
businesses,
destroy
the
livelihoods
of
countless
creators
across
the
country,
and
deny
artists
an
audience.”
The
alert
includes
a
way
for
users
to
find
their
representative
and
call
their
office.
The
notification
comes
shortly
after
the
White
House
expressed
support
for
a
bipartisan
bill
directed
at
TikTok,
which
is
owned
by
the
Chinese
company
ByteDance.
The
bill
—
called
the
Protecting
Americans
from
Foreign
Adversary
Controlled
Applications
Act
—
is
in
response
to
the
perceived
national
security
risks
of
TikTok,
particularly
around
how
the
company
collects
user
data.
The
bill
would
require
that
TikTok
break
off
from
ByteDance
or
risk
being
removed
from
app
stores
in
the
US.
The
Irony
The
White
House’s
support
for
the
bill
is
ironic
due
to
President
Biden’s
presence
on
the
platform
under
the
handle
@BidenHQ.
Congress
has
been
trying
for
years
to
ban
the
app,
with
some
states
successfully
banning
the
app
from
government
devices,
and
Montana
became
the
first
state
to
ban
it
successfully.
A
judge
put
a
halt
on
the
ban,
which
is
the
subject
of
numerous
court
challenges.
If
the
government
is
successful
in
passing
the
ban,
the
American
Civil
Liberties
Union
is
already
pointing
out
that
it
will
be
a
violation
of
the
First
Amendment.
TikTok
has
been
having
a
rough
year,
with
UMG
(Universal
Music
Group)
pulling
music
off
the
platform
after
both
entities
did
not
extend
their
licensing
agreement.
It
sounds
like
TikTok
is
in
danger.
There’s
always
Instagram
Reels.
Just
saying.
