As a small business we want to help fight against this "TikTok Ban". So, we've written a letter you can use to write your local representatives.
Dear [Congressman's Name],
I am writing to express my deep concerns about the Restrict Act and its potential impact on free speech and small businesses. As a constituent of your district, I urge you to consider the detrimental effects of this act on our community before voting on it.
While I agree that regulating data commercialization is an important conversation to have, I believe that the Restrict act goes too far in giving the secretary of commerce unregulated control to prohibit free speech. This level of control is alarming, as it could be used to silence American voices and cripple thousands of small businesses that rely on social media platforms such as TikTok.
TikTok has provided a platform for small businesses and unheard voices to rise up, and it has made it easy for these businesses to connect with other creators and build a community. For example, Encanto Enchanted Paper, a small business that I personally follow, made over 700 sales last year, with over 600 of those thanks to TikTok. When the same content was posted on other platforms, the results weren't even close. TikTok has become a townsquare for small businesses and people across the country.
I believe that this ban is not about China or security, but rather about control and reducing competition for Meta and other tech giants. As we have seen, other tech companies like Facebook, Google, Instagram, and Microsoft already sell and release our deepest secrets to the government or the highest bidders. Singling out TikTok ignores the fact that other social media platforms and tech companies also collect and use user data, often without the user's knowledge or consent.
The concerns over data privacy are warranted, but they are the result of unregulated data commercialization, not another social media app. What will you do when the next big social media app takes the younger audience by storm? We need leaders, who understand how today's technology works, to help write laws that are fair and actually protect Americans. Banning TikTok is not the solution to these concerns. We should be promoting innovation and protecting the livelihoods of small businesses, not stifling them.
In conclusion, I urge you to reconsider your support for the Restrict act, or whatever new name it gets in the future, and instead focus on solutions that promote innovation, free speech, and privacy protection. If you vote yes on this bill, I will vote against you in the primaries. Thank you for your attention to this important issue.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
You get a list of your local representatives and how they decide to vote visit this link created by another TikTok creator @designertom: Tiktokvotetracker.com