Sen. Markey Wants to Add 270 Days to TikTok Sale Deadline
A bid to extend TikTok’s sale deadline comes from Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey through his “Extend the TikTok Deadline Act.” This would give ByteDance an extra nine months beyond January 19 to resolve its U.S. operations.
“Let me be clear: TikTok has its problems. Like every social media platform, TikTok poses a serious risk to the privacy and mental health of our young people. I will continue to hold TikTok accountable for such behavior. But a TikTok ban would impose serious consequences on millions of Americans who depend on the app for social connections and their economic livelihood. We cannot allow that to happen,” said Markey to CBS News Boston.
The bill has found support across party lines. Sen. Rand Paul, a Republican, and Rep. Ro Khanna filed a joint brief against the ban, citing weak evidence and First Amendment concerns.
If the current deadline isn’t met, TikTok would be pulled from U.S. app stores. While existing users could still open the app, it would gradually become unusable without updates or tech support.
The Supreme Court might weigh in soon. Most legal experts believe they’ll uphold the current law. Meanwhile, users aren’t sitting idle – they’re jumping to apps like Rednote, a Chinese platform blending Pinterest and Instagram features, now leading U.S. download charts.
At the core of this debate are U.S. security concerns about Chinese ownership. Officials are worried about ByteDance’s access to user data.
A ban would severely impact content creators’ income. Many Americans rely on TikTok as their primary source of money.
The suggested extension would give ByteDance more time to address U.S. concerns. Content creators could maintain their income while discussions between the company and U.S. officials continue.
