On TikTok, the keyword “KeepTikTok” is taken up by American stars of the platform, brought by the company to Capitol Hill to defend its cause.
“When you put on the wrong shoes in the Capitol”: a dozen tiktokeurs wandered the halls of the United States Congress on Wednesday, filming themselves to oppose the ban on the application. On the platform, some influencers with millions of subscribers claim to have been “brought” to Washington by the Chinese platform itself.
Many American elected officials, Republicans and Democrats, believe that the popular video platform, owned by the Chinese group Bytedance, allows Beijing to access confidential user data. They have introduced several bills in recent weeks to ban the app, which has more than 150 million users in the United States.
Operation “KeepTikTok”
Several TikTok influencers took to the US capital this week to vehemently oppose the ban. “We are in Washington, you see the Capitol right there”, launches the tiktoker @countrylather2020, in a video accompanied by the hashtag #KeepTikTok (#GardezTikTok). “We hope to speak to a few senators,” says the one whose account specializes in soap making.
The boss of the application, Shou Chew, will be heard by American elected officials on Thursday. Still as part of the “KeepTiKTok” operation, he staged himself with personalities from the platform, such as with Janette Ok (1.7 million subscribers).
While the use of TikTok is prohibited for civil servants in many countries, the National Assembly alerted deputies to the dangers of foreign applications on March 20. Since its inception, TikTok has allowed Chinese employees to consult the personal data of European users. A practice that the company does not intend to change in the future.