Now that the House of Representatives has passed a bill that could ban TikTok, the company is firing back through its typically quiet CEO Shou Zi Chew. The Singaporean executive rarely gives interviews or makes public statements, but yesterday (Mar. 13), he went on the company’s official TikTok account to urge users to speak out against the potential ban.
“I encourage you to keep sharing your stories,” Chew said. “Share them with your friends, share them with your family. Share them with your senators. Protect your constitutional rights.”
@tiktok Response to TikTok Ban Bill
The legislation challenges TikTok to part ways with its owner, the Chinese tech company ByteDance, if it wants to remain accessible in the U.S. The bill will still need to pass the Senate and be signed into law by President Joe Biden before it can take effect. President Biden, who joined TikTok in February, recently said that he would sign the bill if both the House and the Senate approve it.
Chew’s rare message to TikTokers may indicate the seriousness of this prospect, which some TikTok creators have already brushed off, since this is not the first time the U.S. government has sought to ban the app.
Chew argued in the video that the bill’s purpose is to protect TikTok’s competitors rather than its American users. “This bill gives more power to a handful of other social media companies,” Chew said. “It will also take billions of dollars out of the pockets of creators and small businesses. It will put more than 300,000 American jobs at risk and it will take away your TikTok.”
TikTok has not made great friends with the rest of the media and tech industries since it blew up in popularity at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. As the company branches outside of social media into shopping, music and more, competitors have turned cold on the app. In February, Universal Music Group pulled its entire catalog off of the app after its contract ended at the beginning of the month.