Trump Twisted on TikTok, Creators Fear of a Ban as the House Votes on Blocking the App

Former US President Trump is now against the ban on the social media platform TikTok. Nevertheless, his revised position, mixed with an extensive campaign by TikTok and its millions of users, has failed to sway his fellow Republicans in Congress.

TikTok, which is owned by ByteDance and has a Chinese counterpart called Douyin, is a popular short-form video hosting service.

Recently, Trump said about his opposition to a bill that would force TikTok to be removed from U.S. app stores unless ByteDance sells its stake. This sudden change in stance caught many off guard.

Previously, as President, Trump had attempted to ban TikTok through an executive order, claiming concerns about Chinese government surveillance. However, the order was challenged in court and never took effect.

As the House lawmakers get ready to vote on the bill on Wednesday, TikTok is urging its users to contact their representatives with a full-screen notification regarding the legislation.

The company's CEO, Shou Chew, has been trying to arrange last-minute meetings with members of Congress. On Monday, it sent letters to two lawmakers challenging their criticisms of TikTok's advocacy campaign as "offensive" and "patently false."

The app ban proposed for TikTok is believed to have a negative effect on 5 million businesses that heavily rely on the platform.

Senator Rand Paul from Kentucky expressed his doubt in the proposed ban on TikTok, calling it senseless. He said his argument in an interview on “The Hill” on NewsNation, emphasizing that banning TikTok would mirror the actions taken by the Chinese government, the very threat the ban aims to protect Americans from.

Paul made these comments ahead of an expected vote in the House on Wednesday.

Cybersecurity experts believe that the national security issues related to TikTok are still theoretical, though concerning. There is no public evidence from US officials showing that the Chinese government has accessed the data of American TikTok users, which lawmakers are trying to prevent with their bill.

Policymakers in the US are worried that China could pressure ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, to provide data that could be used for intelligence purposes or propaganda efforts.