The Chinese-owned social media platform TikTok is currently engaged in an intense campaign to prevent a potential US ban. Utilizing the essential tools of American democracy—lawyers, lobbyists, and financial resources—TikTok is leaving no stone unturned in its fight for survival. The push follows a new law that requires its Beijing-based parent company, ByteDance Ltd., to divest its US operations.
TikTok’s efforts include enlisting the services of top-tier Washington power brokers and $1,500-an-hour attorneys. Furthermore, the company has launched a $4.8 million advertising campaign and invested significant efforts on Capitol Hill, thereby utilizing multiple avenues to address its legal and political challenges.
Joel Thayer, a Republican lawyer who has been involved in pushing the legislation, remarked, “They’re out in full force,” emphasizing the seriousness with which TikTok is approaching the situation. Thayer and others argue that TikTok’s data collection practices and its ties to China raise significant national security concerns, concerns which have driven lawmakers to seek the company’s divestiture.
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