Summer Lucille, photo via Instagram
TikTok is once again making headlines as it mobilizes an unconventional force to combat a bill threatening its existence in the United States: online influencers. TikTok has enlisted the support of these digital personalities to try to stop the fast-moving legislation that could result in the ban of the popular social media platform.
The House approved a bill that threatens to ban TikTok from the U.S. unless the app severs ties with its Chinese parent company, ByteDance. This poses a significant hurdle for one of the world’s most widely used social media platforms, boasting 170 million American users.
The bipartisan bill, passed with a vote of 352-65, would require TikTok to split from ByteDance within approximately five months. Failure to do so would result in app stores in the U.S. prohibiting TikTok from being hosted on their platforms. The fate of the measure in the Senate remains uncertain at this time, CNN reported.
While the legislation has garnered bipartisan support and even gained the approval of President Joe Biden, it faces hurdles in the Senate, where several similar bills have stalled.
The platform has organized a two-day advocacy event in Washington, where influencers engaged with lawmakers to plead their case against the bill, AP News reported.
One of the influencers speaking out is Summer Lucille, who is known as Juicy Body Goddess. Not only is she a TikTok star with 1.4 million followers, like many on the app, she is a small business owner. She pitches her line of plus-size clothes, Juicy Body Goddess, while on TikTok.
“TikTok has changed my life forever,” she told CNN. “When I got on TikTok in 2022….I was able to connect with my community.I was able to grow my business and upscale to a warehouse and get a brick and morter location in a mall.”
She said forcing TikTok to be sold off to am American owner would “change the dynamics and culture of TikTok.”
However, the influencers’ efforts may be met with skepticism and opposition. Critics argue that TikTok poses a national security threat due to its ties to China, raising concerns about data privacy and potential exploitation by the Chinese government. Despite TikTok’s assurances of safeguarding user data, lawmakers remain wary of the platform’s security implications.
Moreover, the legislation faces resistance from various quarters, including progressive lawmakers and civil liberties groups, who contend that it infringes on First Amendment rights. Additionally, former President Donald Trump has voiced opposition to the bill.
Summer Lucille, photo via Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/p/Cl43wEnOTU6/
