US lawmakers push Biden to delay TikTok ban deadline beyond January 19

Photo : Reuters

Two lawmakers are asking Congress and President Joe Biden to give ByteDance, the owner of TikTok, more time to sell its U.S. business. The deadline is January 19, and if ByteDance does not sell, TikTok may be banned in the United States. Over 170 million Americans use TikTok, and the app could stop working if it is banned.

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Recently, a court heard arguments about this rule. A lawyer for ByteDance said it is not possible to finish the sale before the deadline. The lawyer warned that if TikTok is banned, the app will shut down, and millions of users will lose access.

President Joe Biden can extend the deadline by 90 days if ByteDance shows real progress in selling the U.S. part of the business. However, it seems ByteDance may not meet the needed progress.

One lawmaker wants to bring a new rule to extend the deadline by 270 days. They said, “Banning TikTok would break an important platform where people share ideas and culture. It would harm millions who depend on it for connection and income. We cannot let this happen.”

Another lawmaker asked for the ban to be paused. They said, “If TikTok is banned, 170 million Americans will lose their way to express themselves. It will also hurt people who earn money through the app.”

If the court does not stop the rule before the deadline, people will not be able to download TikTok from app stores anymore. Users who already have TikTok may use it for a short time, but the app will stop working after some time as companies will stop giving support or updates.

The White House has not shared any comments yet, and TikTok’s future in the U.S. is still unclear.