The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed a bipartisan bill targeting the Chinese-owned social media app TikTok. The bill would force TikTok's owner ByteDance to divest from the company within six months or face a ban.
The bill is making its way through the U.S. Senate. President Joe Biden has said he would sign the bill if it gets to his desk.
Lawmakers say a ban may not be necessary if TikTok is sold. They say TikTok poses a grave security risk and leaves U.S. users vulnerable to misinformation or cyberattacks.
Some people argue a ban would hurt small businesses and local influencers.
Brian Madamba is a content creator from Hawaiʻi who posts TikTok videos, often comedic, under the account @BrevenchyM. The Conversation spoke to Madamba about his thoughts on the bill and the challenges of the content creator business.
This story aired on <i>The Conversation</i> on April 1, 2024. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1.
