TikTok CEO Shou Chew has issued a rallying cry to users that the company plans to fight a possible US ban.
Chew responded to the latest initiatives in a video posted by the official TikTok account. “Make no mistake, this is a ban,” Chew said in the video. “A ban on TikTok and a ban on you and your voice.”
The clip has been viewed more than four million times as of Wednesday afternoon, and comments show that users aren’t ready to say goodbye to TikTok anytime soon.
Many expressed support for Chew, whose call to action hints at the growing pressure against TikTok and its Chinese owners, Bytedance.
“I entrust my life to you,” one comment read.
Others credited the platform for helping users find “their voice and livelihood” and for providing “a sense of community here that we don’t have anywhere else.”
Meanwhile, some remembered what they learned on the app, from restaurant recommendations to beauty product reviews.
“bro, I learned how to change the air filters in my car and how to do an oil change,” one commenter said.
Despite Chew’s provocative video and growing outrage from the app’s users, a ban on TikTok will not happen in the immediate future.
Bytedance has nine months to a year to find a buyer for TikTok – and that’s only if the bill holds up in court.
businessinsider
