TikTok users received a ‘dystopian’ notification this week telling them to act now as the app is ‘at risk’ of being shut down in the US.
It comes as a US congressional panel has approved a new bill that could ban or force the sale of the Chinese-owned app.
TikTok urges users to act now
People received a notification to their device on Thursday (March 7) which said: “TikTok is at risk of being shut down in the US. Call your representative now.”
Everyone was really confused, with one person writing on Twitter/X: “Why did I just receive a notification TikTok is being shut down??”
“Did anyone else receive this TikTok being shut down notification? Feels dystopian,” said another.
Someone else asked: “I received this notification a few moments ago. Is TikTok at risk of being shut down?”
Some thought the message was fake at first, but a spokesperson for TikTok confirmed to Newsweek that these notifications were purposely sent out to users across the US.
TikTok is trying to rally support amongst its users and urge them to oppose a nationwide ban.
“Speak up now – before your government strips 170 million Americans of their Constitutional right to free expression,” TikTok said in another message on the app.
“This will damage millions of businesses, destroy the livelihoods of countless creators across the country, and deny artists an audience.”
Congress has reportedly received a number of calls following the push notification.
Bill could force US TikTok ban
The notification came amid the announcement of a new bill which could potentially ban TikTok in the United States.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee voted 50-0 on Thursday to advance the bill, which would stop app stores in the US from listing TikTok unless its parent company ByteDance sells the app within six months.
This is due to ongoing fears that users’ data could be passed on to China’s government, as ByteDance is a Chinese internet technology company headquartered in Beijing.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise revealed that lawmakers will vote next week “to force TikTok to sever their ties with the Chinese Communist party” in a post on Twitter/X.
The potential ban has sparked panic on social media, with one person writing: “Realistically what do we do as creators if TikTok gets banned?”
“I actually hope TikTok doesn’t get banned. As a creator this platform has been helping me so much with growth and actually making monetary gain,” said another.
US threatened to ban TikTok before
In March 2023, The Committee on Foreign Investment in the US (CFIUS) threatened to ban TikTok if ByteDance wouldn’t sell its stake.
The CCFIUS is the body that evaluates national security concerns around the app and determines how to minimize risk.
That was the first time the Biden Administration threatened to shut down the app. Donald Trump previously tried to ban TikTok in 2020.
However, TikTok remains accessible across the United States for now.
