Three Democratic senators have called on President Donald Trump to seek congressional approval for extending the deadline for ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of TikTok, to sell a majority stake in the app to U.S. owners. This call comes amid ongoing concerns over a potential ban of TikTok in the United States.
Earlier this year, Trump unilaterally extended the original deadline from January 19 to April 5 by postponing the enforcement of a law requiring ByteDance to divest a majority stake to U.S. investors. Trump suggested that he may further extend this deadline to provide additional time to finalize a deal.
Senators Ed Markey, Chris Van Hollen, and Cory Booker expressed concerns about the legality and the long-term future of TikTok under the current non-enforcement stance, stating that the deadline extension should be handled through legislation passed by Congress. They urged Trump to back a proposal that would extend the deadline until October. The senators emphasized the need for a legislative solution, pointing out that TikTok is used by 170 million Americans and should not be left in limbo.
In response, the White House has yet to comment, but discussions have reportedly been focusing on a plan that would involve the largest non-Chinese investors in ByteDance increasing their stakes to take over the U.S. operations of TikTok. This move aims to dilute Chinese ownership, thereby addressing national security concerns regarding the app’s potential use in influence operations.
The fate of TikTok has been uncertain for months, with some reports suggesting that the Trump administration is working on a deal involving Oracle and other investors to take control of TikTok’s U.S. operations. The senators have called for clarity from Trump regarding the legal basis for any further extensions and whether the White House is in negotiations with Oracle to manage TikTok’s user data security.
