TikTok is now asking users to call their senators to prevent a US ban

A day after a bill that could bring TikTok to the United States passed the House of Representatives, the company is doubling down on its strategy of urging users to call lawmakers. The app began sending new in-app messages to users, asking them to “tell your senator how important TikTok is to you” and “asking them not to vote to ban TikTok.”

The new alerts are the second such messages TikTok has sent to users about the account. Before the vote in the House, the company must call its representatives in the House. The move could backfire as lawmakers accused the company of trying to “interfere” in the legislative process as congressional offices were reportedly flooded with calls, many from slightly confused teenagers.

Recent notifications are even more direct. “The House of Representatives just voted to ban TikTok, affecting 170 million Americans just like you,” it said. “Now, if the Senate votes, the future of the creativity and communities you love on TikTok could be shut down.” Like previous alerts, users can choose to “call now” and the app will find phone numbers if provided by postal mail code.

TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But the announcement underscores just how big a threat the “Protecting Americans from Apps Controlled by Foreign Enemies Act” is to the company. If passed, TikTok would have about six months to sell or face a US ban. While there have been several previous attempts to ban the app or force a sale, no measure has gained so much bipartisan support so quickly. If it passes the Senate, President Joe Biden said he would sign it into law.

TikTok CEO Shou Chew is speaking directly to users, telling them to “protect your constitutional rights” and promising that the company will “do everything possible, including exercising our legal rights, to protect this amazing platform.”