American politicians have been inundated with calls from TikTok users angered by plans to force the social media app's parent company to sell it or face a ban in the United States.
A bipartisan bill that would mandate the sale within six months was approved unanimously by a House of Representatives committee on Thursday. The measure is expected to go to a full House vote next week.
TikTok sent a notification to its users urging them to 'call your representative now' to oppose the bill. A congressional aide told the BBC their office had received dozens of calls, with one congressman reporting he had been contacted by children.
The bill's supporters, who form the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, argue that TikTok's owner ByteDance has links with the Chinese Communist Party – a claim denied by the company. Committee chair Mike Gallagher said the app posed a national security threat.
TikTok described the measure as 'an outright ban' and said it would trample the First Amendment rights of 170 million Americans. The American Civil Liberties Union also criticised the move, calling it an attempt to score 'cheap political points during an election year'.
