Congress is getting ready to vote on a bill that could lead to a nationwide ban of the app. Lawmakers say the bill is meant to protect national security, but many content creators on the platform are worried the move may impact their livelihoods. 

Gainesville

The U.S. Congress is preparing to vote on legislation that could potentially result in a nationwide ban of TikTok. Lawmakers advocating for the bill argue that its purpose is to safeguard national security. The potential for a ban has raised concerns among numerous content creators on the platform, who fear that such a move could adversely affect their means of income.

These creators, many of whom depend on TikTok for their livelihood, are apprehensive about the future. They worry that a ban could disrupt their careers, impacting not only their financial stability but also their ability to connect with their audience.



Content creators nervous at the possibility of a TikTok ban

I would somebody like me want to become a neurosurgeon. Dr. Betsy Grunsch is talking to an audience of 1.8 million followers on TikTok, giving them a glimpse into the life of a mom and a neurosurgeon. It's 12.51 AM, and I am at the end of a 72-hour call shift. Just a way to explain things in my field that I think are a little intimidating to a lot of people. And it's kind of grown over the past three years to something that I really didn't expect. She is just one of countless TikTok influencers who live in Metro Atlanta and stand to lose a big platform if the nation bans the app. There are chefs, musicians, or just everyday people who have made livelihoods off of it. It's helped not only me grow my practice, but I think it's helped people kind of reach out to other providers to develop about symptoms that they may be having. Patients don't even know that they have it, and it can even lead to death. The bill the House is set to vote on would force TikTok's Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to sell it or face a U.S. ban. A cybersecurity analyst we heard from in December says the information the app gathers on users can be leveraged by China and become a threat to national security. This information, this data, can be aggregated together and can be used in propaganda campaigns or influence campaigns to try to sway public opinion. Dr. Grunsch says if TikTok goes away, she'll just find somewhere else to connect with the public. Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, but TikTok has been my mainstay, and it's what I enjoy watching, too, as a content consumer. However, she says if it has to go away for the greater good of the country, then so be it. She sees her own issues with the platform. I mean, I see a lot of misinformation that gets shared on there, which is one of the reasons why I like to be on there to try to, you know, try to make sure that the right information is getting out there. Reporting for Fox 5 News, I'm Rob DiRienzo.

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Council of the City of Sydney

Government hints at further tax incentives in Budget

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Bogotá

Israel-Gaza War

Colombia ends diplomatic relations with Israel

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Jerusalem

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Tbilisi

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Tel Aviv-Yafo

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Qantas app data breach exposes customer data

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The Hague

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New York

Police enter Columbia University, arrest protesters

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London

King Charles returns to public duties, visits cancer center

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Hainault

Teenage boy killed in London sword attack

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Canberra

Brittany Higgins fails in bid to delay defamation trial

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Buenos Aires

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Odesa

Ukraine Invasion

Russian missile attack kills five in Ukraine's Odesa

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Edinburgh

Scotland's First Minister Humza Yousaf quits

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Lake Macquarie

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Columbia University began suspending pro-Palestinian activists who refused to dismantle a tent encampment on its New York City campus after the Ivy League school declared a stalemate in talks seeking to end the polarizing protest.

Columbia University suspends pro-Palestinian protesters

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Kharkiv

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Madrid

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Riyadh

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G7 environment ministers have gathered in Turin for two days of talks, as hundreds of protesters demonstrated in the city, some burning photos of the G7 leaders who they accuse of failing future generations over the climate crisis.

Turin

Climate Crisis

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Beirut

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Sulphur

At least four dead in Oklahoma tornadoes

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Pescara

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Oklahoma

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Wakeley

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