TikTok Continues to Oppose US Sell-Off Bill

Yeah, I’m not sure that TikTok’s attempts to oppose the sell-off ruling in the U.S. are going to work out as it hopes, nor that they are even relevant, given the current state of the sell-off bill.

This week, TikTok has taken to showcasing the platform’s economic impact in specific U.S. states, in order to underline the value that it provides to U.S. businesses.

Which is a continuation of TikTok’s push to get its user community to lobby their local senators, in order to oppose the sell-off bill. But given that the bill has now been approved, this approach is actually, effectively redundant at this stage. Right?

Back in March, TikTok tried similar, by recruiting dozens of creators and shipping them to Washington so that they could voice their opposition to the then-proposed bill in person.

TikTok also issued warning notes in the app, which called on U.S. users to contact their local representative, in an effort to get the sell-off bill voted down.

But for one, that clearly didn’t work, as the bill was passed by the House and the Senate last month, while it also, essentially, meant that TikTok was trying to use its influence in order to convince U.S. politicians that it neither has, nor would ever attempt to use that exact same influence to drive political outcomes.

Which seemed counterintuitive, and apparently, it actually cemented concerns about the app in some senators’ minds.

Given this, it seems odd that TikTok’s still pushing a similar angle, and trying to highlight its value to the U.S. But that is indeed what it’s going with, though I’m not sure that there’s any way for the bill to be rolled back either way now, other than via legal challenge.

Which TikTok is also pursuing, but that’ll come down to technicalities of the law, and the way that the bill has been proposed, as opposed to broader impacts. That element has already been considered, and the votes have been cast. So again, I’m not sure why TikTok is still beating this drum.

In any event, TikTok is essentially still trying to find a way to halt its forced sell-off in the U.S., which it sees as a ban, given that its Chinese parent company is opposed to a sale.

On another front, a group of TikTok creators is also looking to sue the U.S. Government over the sell-off bill, saying that the ruling effectively violates their First Amendment rights.

I highly doubt that challenge will succeed either, and right now, it still seems like the U.S. Government is operating within its legal rights, based on national security concerns.

That, in the end, is likely to ensure that the sell-off bill does get upheld, despite the various challenges. But right now, it feels like TikTok is a bit stuck with no real option, so it’s trying to rally support, in the hopes of spooking senators.

Who’ve already voted, and can’t change the outcome at this stage.

Yeah, it’s basically a bit of a mess, with TikTok stuck in the middle till a definitive call is made on its possible next steps.