TikTok has issued a forceful response to a letter from the House China Select Committee, defending its right to engage users in advocating against a fast-moving House bill that could lead to a ban of the Chinese-owned app in the United States. The escalating communications strategy comes as TikTok faces an existential threat, with the House set to vote Wednesday on a bipartisan bill that would force Beijing-based Bytedance to divest its ownership of the popular social media platform within 165 days or risk a ban from U.S. app stores.
In a letter obtained by Axios, TikTok vice president of public policy Michael Beckerman wrote, "TikTok disagrees with many of the assertions in your letter, which range from offensive to patently false." He argued that the legislation, which is being "rushed through at unprecedented speed without even the benefit of a public hearing, poses serious Constitutional concerns."
House China Committee chair Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) and ranking member Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) had accused TikTok of a "disinformation" campaign after the company warned its users that the House was considering a "ban" on the app. Beckerman countered by citing lawmakers' own statements and press releases referring to the legislation as a ban.
Notably, Beckerman also questioned the lawmakers' apparent concern over TikTok's campaign encouraging users to contact their representatives, an initiative that has overwhelmed congressional offices with phone calls. "TikTok takes issue with your apparent concern that your constituents, under their constitutionally-protected right to petition, were contacting your offices to express their views about a piece of legislation and how they might be affected should such legislation be passed into law," he wrote.
Beckerman also offered a reason why divestment is an unlikely scenario for TikTok, citing the company's $1.5 billion investment in securing U.S. user data on the Oracle cloud, known as Project Texas. "Under a divestment scenario, it is highly unlikely a company purchasing TikTok would continue this expensive, groundbreaking work. Ironically, U.S. user data could be less secure under a divestment scheme," he argued.
Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump's recent reversal on his stance regarding a potential TikTok ban has drawn attention, particularly in light of his renewed relationship with GOP megadonor Jeff Yass, who reportedly has a significant financial stake in TikTok's parent company, ByteDance. Trump met with Yass earlier this month at a Club for Growth donor retreat in Palm Beach, Florida, where he declared that they were "back in love."
The Club for Growth, a conservative political organization to which Yass has donated millions, has opposed anti-TikTok efforts. The group's president last year wrote, "Giving the government the power to ban apps and pick and choose between competing apps is a huge restriction on phone freedom."
Trump, who had originally spearheaded efforts to ban TikTok during his time in the White House, reversed his stance last week, suggesting that getting rid of TikTok would benefit Facebook, which he considers a bigger problem for the country. "I don't want Facebook ... doing better. They are a true Enemy of the People!" he wrote on his social media platform.
As the House prepares to debate and vote on the bill this week, TikTok continues to defend itself by citing Project Texas, an initiative that the company says keeps all U.S. user data on servers within the country and outside the reach or influence of any foreign government. The company has also blasted the legislation, stating that it will "trample the First Amendment rights of 170 million Americans and deprive 5 million small businesses of a platform they rely on to grow and create jobs."
The outcome of the House vote and the future of the proposal in the Senate remain uncertain, but TikTok's aggressive response to the House China Select Committee and the shifting political alliances surrounding the app underscore the high stakes involved in the battle over its future in the United States.
