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 The Conversation on April 1, 2024. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1.
