Biden urged to extend Jan 19 US TikTok ban deadline

Meanwhile, China-based social media company dismisses talks of selling to Elon Musk, calling it ‘pure fiction’

12:01 PM MYT

 

KUALA LUMPUR – Two US lawmakers have called on President Joe Biden and Congress to extend the January 19 deadline for China-based ByteDance to sell TikTok’s US operations or face a nationwide ban. 

The Supreme Court heard arguments on Friday over a law that could force ByteDance to sell its US business or shut down TikTok. TikTok and ByteDance’s lawyer, Noel Francisco, said it would be impossible to complete the sale by the deadline, Reuters reported.

“If banned, TikTok would quickly go dark and essentially shut down,” he explained, warning that millions of users would lose access to the popular short-video platform. 

The Biden administration argues that, without a sale, China could use TikTok as a tool “to spy on Americans or influence US politics. TikTok strongly denies these claims and insists it is not controlled by the Chinese government, saying the law to ban the app violates the First Amendment rights of users.  

Biden has the option to extend the deadline by 90 days if he believes ByteDance is making progress towards selling its US operations. However, it’s unclear if the company will meet the requirements. 

Senator Edward Markey has introduced a new bill to delay the deadline by an additional 270 days. He argued that banning TikTok would destroy a unique platform that millions of Americans depend on for social connections and work. 

“A TikTok ban would impose serious consequences on millions of Americans who rely on the app for social connections and their economic livelihood. We cannot allow that to happen,” he said.  

Representative Ro Khanna, another Democratic lawmaker, also urged Biden and Donald Trump to put a hold on the ban. Khanna warned that a ban would impact millions of people who use TikTok for their livelihoods and free speech. 

The US Supreme Court has yet to make a final ruling, but if the law is upheld, new downloads of TikTok will be banned from app stores by Sunday. 

Existing users will still be able to access the app for a while, but the service will eventually stop working as companies will be barred from providing updates or support.  

Meanwhile, TikTok responded to reports suggesting that China might allow billionaire Elon Musk to purchase its US operations. The company dismissed the idea as “pure fiction” following a Bloomberg report that claimed Chinese officials were considering the possibility. 

According to Bloomberg, one option being considered was for Musk’s social media platform X to take control of TikTok’s US business if the Supreme Court upholds the ban. 

TikTok said it has no intention of selling its US operations, despite such reports circulating. 

“We can’t be expected to comment on pure fiction,” the company’s spokesperson told BBC, adding that TikTok would continue to focus on its core mission of providing a platform for creativity and entertainment. 

The situation has drawn attention to the political connections between Musk and President-elect Donald Trump, who has publicly expressed an interest in finding a “political resolution” to the issue once he takes office on January 20. 

Trump had previously asked the court to delay the TikTok ruling until after his inauguration so that he could address the matter in a way that aligns with his political plans.  

In his legal brief, Trump made it clear that he “opposes banning TikTok” and wants to seek a resolution through political means. This came after Trump met with TikTok’s CEO, Shou Zi Chew, at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida last month. – January 14, 2025

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