TikTok led creators to protest in front of Capitol Hill

TikTok is doing everything it can to stop the federal administration from banning the platform in the United States. This includes paying the travel expenses for the creators of the popular platform to travel to Washington and demonstrate in front of Capitol Hill. Some of the most prominent social media personalities who attended the demonstration appeared shortly before TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew was questioned by the Congress on a range of issues, from the distribution of potentially harmful content to minors to national security concerns, particularly the potential access to US users' personal data by its Chinese-owned parent company, ByteDance.

However, the creators did not travel to Washington at their own expense. In addition to the 30 influencers present and their fellow travelers, WIRED counted 10 other people who were on Capitol Hill on behalf of TikTok in one way or another. The movers and shakers in attendance told the Washington Examiner that the company funded their flights and that they were bussed to a pro-TikTok protest event. The reimbursement of transport costs suggests that TikTok played an active role in organizing the event and encouraging creators to attend in order to increase support for the company in the face of a possible ban in the United States. The TikTok spokesperson Jamal Brown personally confirmed that the company only covered the transport costs and nothing else.

The American press was not enthusiastic about the initiative. After the tense atmosphere in the courtroom, the fate of TikTok seems more uncertain than ever, and the attempt to strengthen the case by inviting the creators to protest was seen as a way to influence the jury and more generally the perception of the American public. It remains to be seen what the increasingly uncertain fate of TikTok will be on American soil.