Over 300,000 American jobs at risk: TikTok CEO asks users to oppose bill aiming to ban app

TikTok's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Shou Zi Chew on Wednesday (Mar 13) warned of job losses after the US House of Representatives passed a bill that would give the video sharing app'sowner ByteDance about six months to divest its American assets, or face a ban. He also urged users to oppose the ban to protect their "constitutional rights".

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"We believe we can overcome this together... Protect your constitutional rights. Make your voices heard," Chew said in a video message posted on TikTok and social media platform X.

"Over the last few years, we have invested to keep your data safe and all platforms free from outside manipulation. We have committed that we will continue to do so. This legislation, if signed into law, will lead to a ban of TikTok in the United States," Chew said.

Chew added that the bill would 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," he added and pointed out that that the short-video app mattered to the small business owners who relied on it to make ends meet.

Bill passed 352-65 in bipartisan vote

The House of Representatives bill on TikTok ban was passed 352-65 in a bipartisan vote. However, it faces a more uncertain path in the Senate where some favour a different approach to regulating foreign-owned apps posing security concerns, Reuters news agency reported.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said the Senate will review the legislation.

TikTok is used by about 170 million Americans, and the app's fate has become a major issue in the US where lawmakers have complained that their offices have been flooded with calls from the app users who oppose the legislation.

Wednesday's bill is the latest measure by Washington to respond to US national security concerns about China, from connected vehicles to advanced artificial intelligence chips to cranes at American ports.

Some Democrats question bill

Prominent Democrats in the House, including Kathleen Clark, Arizona Senate candidate Ruben Gallego, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez voted against the bill. "There are serious antitrust and privacy questions here, and any national security concerns should be laid out to the public prior to a vote," Ocasio-Cortez said.

Senate Commerce Committee chair Maria Cantwell said that she wanted legislation that could hold up in court and was considering a separate bill. Before the vote, several TikTok users rallied outside the Capitol.

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Twenty-three-year-old Mona Swain, who was outside the Capitol, said that the bill would put a lot of people out of work. Swain joined TikTok in 2019 and has become a full-time creator.

Speaking to Reuters, Swain said that she was paying her mother’s mortgage and for her brother and sister’s college educations with her earnings from the app.

(With inputs from agencies)