TikTok influencers and Billboards are in the nation's capital, to make the case that the hugely popular video-sharing app, shouldn't be banned in the United States.
The heavy public relations campaign comes a day before TikTok's CEO Shou Zi Chew plans to tell congress that the company is committed to user safety, data protection, and security, and keeping the platform free from Chinese government influence.
Chew will attempt to persuade lawmakers not to pursue a ban on the app or force its sale to new owners.
Authorities in North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific have already banned the TikTok app, mostly on government-issued phones or devices used for official business citing cybersecurity concerns.
Both the FBI and officials at the federal communications commission have warned that byte-dance could share TikTok user data, such as browsing history, location, and biometric identifiers with China’s authoritarian government.
Owned by parent company byte-dance, which has offices in Beijing, TikTok has 150 million American users but it's been dogged by persistent claims that it threatens national security and user privacy or could be used to promote pro-Beijing propaganda and misinformation.
