TikTok CEO Shou Chew has issued a rallying cry to users that the company plans to fight a possible US ban.
Chew responded to the latest moves in a video posted by the official TikTok account. “Make no mistake, this is a ban,” Chew said in the video. “A ban on TikTok and a ban on you and your voice.”
The clip has over four million views as of Wednesday afternoon, and the comments show that users aren’t ready to say goodbye to TikTok anytime soon.
Many expressed support for Chew, whose call to action hints at the pressure building against TikTok and its Chinese owners, Bytedance.
“I trust you with my life,” one comment read.
Others credited the platform for helping users find “their voice and livelihood” and providing “a sense of community here that we don’t have anywhere else.”
Meanwhile, some reminisced about what they learned on the app, from restaurant recommendations to beauty product reviews.
“bro i learned how to change my air filters for my car and how to do an oil change,” a commenter said.
Despite Chew’s defiant video and the growing outrage from the app’s users, a TikTok ban won’t happen in the immediate future.
Bytedance has nine months to a year to find a buyer for TikTok — and that’s only if the bill holds up in court.