Following the US Congress’ decision to pass the 21st Century Peace Through Strength Act, which could lead to the potential ban of TikTok, Atlanta rapper Soulja Boy announced his interest in purchasing the app. The bill could force Chinese parent company ByteDance to sell the platform within nine months, with a ban in effect if they fail to do so. President Joe Biden signed the legislation the following day.
Soulja Boy shared his frustration on Twitter, stating “I can’t believe y’all just gon let them ban TikTok like that…If they do it to this app, they can do it to any app or site. Not cool [for real], y’all will see later.” He received replies from fans stating he could use other social media platforms, to which he responded: “You maybe don’t see it now but TikTok is more important than any other platform right now that’s why they’re trying to ban it trust me.”
In another tweet, he shared that he didn’t think it was right to sell the app even if ByteDance could do so to avoid the ban. “For what – so they can change and mess up the algorithm? [Shake my head], leave the app alone,” he tweeted. He finished his string of tweets by asking how much TikTok would be willing to sell for: “How much y’all want for [it]? I’ll buy it.”
TikTok released a statement calling the potential ban “unconstitutional”, stating it would devastate seven million businesses and silent 170 million Americans, adding: “As we continue to challenge this unconstitutional ban, we will continue investing and innovating to ensure TikTok remains a space where Americans of all walks of life can safely come to share their experiences, find joy, and be inspired.” CEO of TikTok Shou Zi Chew called the legislation a “disappointing moment” for TikTok, stating the company is confident it will prevail again.
Soulja Boy, who has achieved success through social media, including on TikTok, recently saw multiple songs go viral on the platform. Other countries, including India, Taiwan and Afghanistan have already banned the app, while over 30 American states, Canada, and the European Union have banned the app from government-owned devices due to security risks
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