Investor Vinod Khosla and Palantir advisor Jacob Helberg penned an open letter Thursday calling on Senators to pass a bill that would force the divestiture of Bytedance-owned TikTok in the U.S.
Describing the social media platform as "a weapon of war," Helberg and Khosla compared the bill to decades-old restrictions on foreign ownership of U.S. media outlets.
Some critics have compared the ban to a bill of attainder, given that it singles out one company.
The company mobilized its user base in opposition of the House bill, urging its millions of users to call their congressional representatives and voice their opposition.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew has also been lobbying D.C. lawmakers against a ban, meeting with Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., in March.
Persons:
Vinod Khosla, Jacob Helberg, Khosla, Helberg, Shou Zi Chew, Sen, John Fetterman
Organizations:
CNBC, House, Khosla Ventures, Sun Microsystems, U.S . Department of Defense, Valley, TikTok
Locations:
North Korea, Iran, U.S, Hill