New Senate Bill Would Give China’s ByteDance More Time to Sell TikTok
Sen. Edward Markey, D-Mass., announced Jan. 13 that he plans to introduce a bill to give China’s ByteDance more time to divest TikTok before facing a ban on the popular social media application in the U.S.
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Markey said his Extend the TikTok Deadline Act would give ByteDance an additional 270 days to sell the app. Under the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, which President Joe Biden signed into law in April, ByteDance has only a few more days, until Jan. 19, to complete the transaction (see 2404240043). A buyer hasn't been identified, at least not publicly.
“A TikTok ban would impose serious consequences on millions of Americans who depend upon the app for social connections and for their economic livelihood,” Markey said in a Senate floor speech. “We cannot allow this to happen.”
Markey’s announcement came less than a month after he and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., urged the Biden administration to exercise the April law’s one-time, 90-day extension option, saying ByteDance hasn't had enough time to find a buyer (see 2412230077). The administration hasn't said whether it will grant the extension.
TikTok has sued to overturn the April law, arguing it is unconstitutional. The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral argument on the case Jan. 10.