This charm offensive is supported by an army of tiktokers who are walking this week with their hands in the corridors of the US Congress.

"Hi everyone! I'm right in front of Lindsey Graham's office in the U.S. Senate," said @sparksofjoyco, a tiktoker specializing in greeting card making.

"I will be in contact with them to make them understand the impact that TikTok has on my life and my business and all the concerns you have shared in the comments," she promises her more than 90,000 followers.

An innocent campaign from a worried user? A few hours earlier, the influencer appeared arm in arm in Washington with the boss of TikTok, Shou Chew.

This Singaporean leader with a casual look has multiplied in recent days, interviews, exchanges with the media and on the platform, before a highly anticipated hearing Thursday before US parliamentarians. For the occasion, he abandoned his jeans uniform and hoodie, in favor of a suit.

One goal: to convince the American political class of the efforts of its platform to protect user data.

"Protect your data"

Because many US elected officials, Republicans and Democrats, consider the platform of short and viral videos, which belongs to the Chinese group ByteDance, as a threat to national security.

TikTok boss Shou Zi Chew in front of the US Congress, March 23, 2023 © Jim WATSON / AFP

They fear, along with a growing number of Western governments, that Beijing will not be able to access the data of users around the world through this app.

TikTok has been defending itself for years, but tensions between the two countries and, recently, the destruction of a Chinese balloon alleged spy, have raised calls to be tough on China.

After banning the application of the mobile phones of parliamentarians and White House officials, several elected officials, such as Democratic Senator Mark Warner, have introduced bills that could lead to an outright ban on the application on US territory. His text has the support of the Biden administration.

43 lobbyists

Some 43 lobbyists, including former Democratic congressman John Breaux and Republican Trent Lott, 79 and 81 respectively, were dispatched by TikTok to prevent this scenario from succeeding.

Almost every morning, when Washington wakes up to the prestigious Playbook political bulletin, he hears: "We are committed to protecting your personal data, while providing you with the overall TikTok experience you love so much" -- one of the many ads the platform has bought in the US capital.

"Every time you see ads in Washington, they don't appeal to the general American public," said Sarah Bryner, a researcher at OpenSecrets, which tracks corporate lobbying. "They target parliamentary assistants, elected officials, civil servants ...", she told AFP.

US Congresswoman Cathy Rodgers during the TikTok boss's congressional hearing on March 23, 2023 © Jim WATSON / AFP

The pharmaceutical and agri-food industries, firearms defence associations... Lobbying is not a new practice in Washington, where it is common to cross influence groups in the halls of Congress, looking for elected officials to court.

For TikTok, this lobbying operation amounted to more than $ 5.3 million in 2022. This is more than Twitter spent for the same reason, and especially 20 times what the video platform paid in lobbying campaigns in 2019.

But is TikTok's seduction operation likely to succeed?

Opening the TikTok boss's hearing on Thursday, Republican chairman of the powerful Energy and Commerce Committee Cathy Rodgers bluntly stated: "Your platform must be banned."

© 2023 AFP