TikTok At 'Pivotal' Moment, Warns CEO: Ban Could Take App 'Away From All 150 Million Of You'

TikTok faces a “pivotal” moment as U.S. lawmakers gear up to ban the Chinese-owned short-form video application, said the company’s CEO Shou Zi Chew.

What Happened: Chew, who is set to testify before the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Thursday, said that some politicians were talking about imposing a ban on the ByteDance Ltd-owned app, reported Reuters.

He said, “This comes at a pivotal moment for us. The executive added, “Some politicians have started talking about banning TikTok. Now, this could take TikTok away from all 150 million of you.”

Chew asked users of TikTok to leave comments about what they wanted U.S. lawmakers to know about the app. Thousands reportedly voiced opinions in favor of the app.

See Also: If TikTok Is Banned, Readers Overwhelmingly Say They'll Flock To One Specific App

Why It Matters: Last week it was reported that the Joe Biden administration warned of a TikTok ban unless the Chinese owners of the app divest their stake.

After the news came out shares of rival platform operators Meta Platforms Inc META and Snap Inc SNAP rallied.

TikTok has been plagued by security concerns. Earlier in March, The U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee voted to grant Biden the power to ban TikTok in the country.

Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) is also leading a bipartisan effort in Congress to restrict or ban TikTok.

Read Next: From Bans To Booms: How Congress' Attack On TikTok Could Catapult Snapchat's User Base And Stock Price

 

Posted In: NewsSocial MediaTop StoriesTechGeneralByteDanceShou Zi ChewTikTok
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