TikTok and its users are scrambling to fight a bill that could get the app banned in the whole country!
The vote is happening this Wednesday in the House of Representatives, and TikTok is pulling out all the stops. They’re sending full-screen warnings to users, urging them to call their representatives and fight the bill. Their CEO, Shou Chew, even tried to set up last-minute meetings with Congress members.
They’re not happy about how some lawmakers are calling their efforts to rally users “offensive” or “lies.” TikTok fired back with letters to two lawmakers, defending their campaign. They also worry that a ban would hurt millions of businesses who use TikTok to reach customers.
Take Nadya Okamoto for example. She’s a superstar on TikTok with over 4 million fans! She even sells her own line of period products called “August” at big stores like Target (thanks to TikTok connecting her with CNN!).
Okamoto’s TikTok is all about women’s health, sex education, and some fun peeks into her life. She’s even teamed up with cool brands like Hoka shoes for special product lines. And guess what? Her sisters are TikTok stars too! One of them is even paying for college with the money she makes from TikTok!
Not everyone is buying the reasons behind the fight to ban TikTok. Nadya Okamoto, a popular Asian-American creator on the app, suspects some lawmakers might be motivated by fear and racism. She’s not alone in this feeling – many other Asian-Americans are worried too.
“My gut feeling is that this whole anti-TikTok thing is rooted in a dislike of foreigners, not actual facts,” Okamoto said. “They talk about national security threats from China, but there’s no real proof. It feels like they’re blaming the app for everything the Chinese government might do.”
Experts agree that the security concerns are just a possibility, not something that’s happened yet. The US hasn’t shown any evidence that China has gotten hold of American TikTok users’ data, which is what lawmakers are worried about. Their fear is that China could force TikTok’s owner to hand over the data, which could be bad.
But creators on TikTok say they haven’t seen any signs of Chinese propaganda on the app. “This whole thing is getting old,” said Grey Prnce, who runs a popular TikTok account with their spouse. “I’m more worried about the US government having my data than some far-off possibility with China!”
A public service
While strolling through Times Square one day in 2021, Teddy Siegel faced a common predicament that many visitors to New York City encounter: She urgently needed to use the restroom, but there seemed to be nowhere nearby to go.
Siegel found herself darting into various stores and establishments, desperately asking to use their private restrooms, until she finally stumbled upon a McDonald’s that allowed her restroom access in exchange for making a purchase.
To ensure she wouldn’t face the same dilemma in the future, Siegel recorded a video of the McDonald’s restroom location and saved it to her phone. This simple act gave rise to @Got2GoNYC, a TikTok account dedicated to mapping all the publicly accessible toilets in the city.
Siegel’s blend of candid, self-deprecating humor and her relatable frustration over a situation that many can empathize with has resonated with over 185,000 followers on TikTok and nearly half a million followers across various platforms.
According to Siegel, Congress is now posing a threat to her mission of addressing a genuine public health concern — the shortage of accessible restrooms in public areas — and hindering her efforts to assist people worldwide in quickly finding relief.
TikTok creators are fuming mad about a new law that could kick the app out of the US. They say it’s totally unfair and would mess with everything they’ve built.
One creator, Sarah Siegel, says TikTok helped her spread her message like wildfire. “It’s like lighter fluid for activism!” she laughs.
These creators worry the law is, well, unreasonable. It basically forces TikTok to find a new owner super fast, or get banned. They say that’s impossible and would destroy the online communities they’ve worked hard to create.
“There’s nothing else like TikTok,” they say. It’s way more chill and genuine than Instagram, and its magic algorithm helps you find cool new people. That’s why it’s perfect for building communities, they argue.
One creator, Prnce, even met her husband on TikTok! She says the app helped connect almost 50 LGBTQ+ folks in Utah who wouldn’t have known each other otherwise. It all started with a fundraiser for a local bar – all thanks to the power of TikTok, she says.
