This archive report was first published on 5 August 2020.
US President Donald Trump's threat to ban TikTok in the US has sparked a strong reaction from fans and users of the popular short-form video sharing app.
On Monday, Trump gave ByteDance, the Chinese company that owns TikTok, six weeks to sell its US operations to an American firm, saying it would be 'out of business' otherwise.
However, many TikTok users, including popular creators, have been quick to respond to the threat, with some even creating videos mocking the idea of a ban.
One TikTok star, @maya2960, posted a 'Trump Freestyle' video on Monday, which quickly racked up over a million views and 500,000 'likes' on the platform.
In the video, she rapped about Trump's decision, saying 'Didn't think this through, little Donny, did you? Not much of a businessman.' She also promised that TikTok users would not go down without a fight, citing First Amendment protections against government censorship of free speech.
Another video snippet racking up views was captioned 'Me trying to convince Trump to let us keep TikTok' and showed a woman colouring her face orange and building a brick wall.
Twenty TikTok stars, whose combined followings top 100 million people, have also posted an open letter to Trump on Medium, arguing against banning the app.
'A virtual world dominated by hate on Twitter is nothing compared to the snapshots of joy and comedy on TikTok,' the open letter read. 'So instead of eliminating TikTok, why not use this opportunity to spin off TikTok US in an IPO or sell it to a US company — let capitalism solve this issue, not the state.'
Trump's decision to ban TikTok has been met with criticism from many, who argue that it is an attack on free speech and the rights of users.
