Senators Urge Biden to Grant TikTok 90-Day Reprieve Amidst Looming Ban
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Democratic Senator Ed Markey and Republican Senator Rand Paul have urged President Joe Biden to extend the January 19 deadline for ByteDance to sell TikTok's US assets, reports Reuters. The senators' request comes as the Supreme Court prepares to hear TikTok's legal challenge to the law requiring the sale.
In a letter to Biden, Markey and Paul cited the Supreme Court's upcoming January 10 hearing on TikTok's injunction request to halt the sale or ban. "Given the law’s uncertain future and its consequences for free expression, we urge you to trigger the 90-day extension before January 19," the senators wrote.
The White House and TikTok have yet to comment on the senators' request. The law, which Biden signed in April, designates TikTok, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, as a national security threat due to its access to vast amounts of US user data.
TikTok, used by approximately 170 million Americans, argues that the law violates First Amendment free speech protections. The company maintains that it poses no imminent threat to US security.
While TikTok and ByteDance are challenging the law in court, some senators, including Republican leader Mitch McConnell, are urging the Supreme Court to uphold the law. Others, like Republican Josh Hawley and Democrat Richard Blumenthal, maintain that ByteDance must comply.
President-elect Donald Trump, who previously attempted to ban TikTok in 2020, has since reversed his stance. He has expressed support for the app this week, stating that he would "take a look" at the matter. Trump's inauguration on January 20, the day after the TikTok deadline, adds another layer of complexity to the situation.