As the deadline to ban TikTok looms, Senate Democrats are increasing pressure on President Joe Biden to delay the ban and prevent the popular app from going offline in the U.S. on Sunday. Lawmakers argue that millions of creators, businesses, and influencers who rely on TikTok could suffer significant harm if the app is banned prematurely.
Democratic Senator Ed Markey emphasized the need for more time to resolve the issue and avoid a hasty shutdown. “Let’s take a breath, try to step back, buy some time, try to figure this out,” Markey said in a statement on Thursday. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer has also expressed support for a delay, urging Biden to extend the deadline by 90 days to allow time for an American buyer to take over TikTok’s U.S. operations and avoid disrupting the lives of millions of Americans who depend on the platform.
The deadline was set by Congress in April, following national security concerns over the app’s ownership by Chinese company ByteDance. The Justice Department recently cited concerns about TikTok’s data collection practices, warning that the platform could be used for espionage purposes due to the vast amount of sensitive information it holds about U.S. users.
Despite these concerns, Schumer and other senators argue that additional time is necessary to secure a resolution. “It’s clear that more time is needed to find an American buyer and not disrupt the lives and livelihoods of millions of Americans,” Schumer said.
The White House has indicated that the decision to extend the deadline may fall to the next administration, with Biden’s team previously stating that an extension was not planned. However, with the Jan. 19 deadline quickly approaching, the potential impact of a TikTok shutdown remains a major point of debate among lawmakers.
Senators Markey, Cory Booker, and Chris Van Hollen have written to Biden urging him to grant an extension, warning that without action, TikTok could go dark on Sunday, with serious consequences for the 170 million American users and 7 million businesses reliant on the platform.