Could U.S. Senator from Massachusetts Ed Markey be the savior for 170 million American TikTok users?
Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Representative Ro Khanna (CA-17) of Washington announced Tuesday that the Extend the TikTok Deadline Act would be introduced. This legislation would postpone by 270 days the deadline of January 19 for ByteDance to sell TikTok or risk being banned. Senator Markey made remarks about the repercussions of a TikTok ban in the US on the U.S. Senate floor and live on the app on January 13.
Senator Markey claimed that the TikTok ban was hastily implemented without giving enough thought to the significant effects it will have on the 170 million Americans who use the app. These days, TikTok serves as a platform for people to create community during trying times, earn money to pay for groceries and medical treatment, and share vital resources during calamities like the wildfires in Los Angeles. The purpose of the simple, one-sentence “Extend the TikTok Deadline Act” is to allow Congress the necessary time to consider the full ramifications of this prohibition. I implore my fellow lawmakers to move quickly on this measure.
Donald Trump and his associates, who are ready to acquire a major social media company and use it as yet another political platform, will greatly benefit from the hasty divestment of Tiktok. When it comes to safeguarding Americans’ personal information from China, I don’t let anyone else take precedence. To secure critical U.S. data, I have authored three of the most robust bills available. According to Senator Wyden, extending the deadline for selling TikTok will give Congress more time to think about better ways to counteract Chinese threats, provide courts more time to evaluate the legislation, and give more time for bidders to submit offers to buy TikTok before the public has a chance to analyze them.
According to Senator Booker, tens of millions of Americans, like me, use TikTok for social networking, business, and entertainment. It is not appropriate to restrict Americans’ freedom of expression on the platforms of their choice. ByteDance should be given enough time to complete a sale, although I do think it should separate from TikTok. That’s why I’m working on this legislation with Senators Wyden and Markey to extend the deadline.
Representative Khanna stated that a ban on TikTok will harm the livelihoods of creators and small business owners who use the app, as well as violate the free expression of 170 million Americans. Laws are necessary to safeguard American data, but prohibiting TikTok is not the solution. Joining Senator Markey in introducing this legislation to temporarily halt the TikTok ban for 270 days makes me proud.
In an abipartisan, bicameral amicus brief, Senators Markey and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Congressman Ro Khanna (CA-17) urged the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the D.C. Circuit Court’s ruling in TikTok Inc. v. Garland, which supported the TikTok ban imposed under the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act.Senators Markey and Paul, along with Representative Khanna, contended in the brief that the TikTok prohibition is unsupported by facts and violates the First Amendment, so jeopardizing the rights of more than 170 million Americans who use the app. Senators Markey and Paul wrote to President Joe Biden on December 19, pleading with him to give ByteDance, the owner of TikTok, a ninety-day extension to sell the app or risk being banned.
