US Lawmakers Push Biden to Extend TikTok Ban Deadline Amid Legal and Economic Concerns

Two Democratic lawmakers urged President Joe Biden and Congress to extend the January 19 deadline requiring China-based ByteDance to sell TikTok's US assets or face a nationwide ban. The extension would provide additional time for negotiations and potentially prevent millions of Americans from losing access to the app.

Supreme Court Arguments and Legal Challenges

The Supreme Court recently heard arguments on TikTok and ByteDance's legal challenge to the divestiture law. ByteDance’s lawyer, Noel Francisco, argued that completing the sale by the current deadline is "impossible" and warned that a ban would shut down TikTok's US operations, impacting its 170 million American users.

Legislative Proposals to Delay the Ban

• Senator Edward Markey announced plans to introduce legislation delaying the deadline by 270 days, citing TikTok's role as a unique cultural platform and its economic significance.

• Representative Ro Khanna emphasized the app's importance for free speech and livelihoods, urging Biden to pause the ban to avoid harming users and businesses reliant on TikTok.

Potential Outcomes and Impacts

• If the court does not block the law by Sunday, new downloads of TikTok from Apple and Google app stores will be prohibited, though existing users may temporarily retain access.

• Over time, services will degrade as companies will no longer be permitted to support the app.

White House Stance and Future Actions

While the White House has not commented, President Biden has the option to extend the deadline by 90 days if ByteDance demonstrates substantial progress toward divestiture. However, meeting this standard appears unlikely.

The looming TikTok ban underscores the legal, political, and economic challenges surrounding the platform, with lawmakers advocating for a balanced resolution to protect American users and businesses.

 

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