Biden urged to extend TikTok sale deadline

On Monday, two Democratic lawmakers appealed to US President Joe Biden and Congress to extend the deadline set for Chinese company ByteDance to sell the US assets of TikTok. If the deal is not completed by 19 January, the app could face a full ban in the US, Reuters reports.

The situation is complicated by the fact that on Friday, the US Supreme Court heard arguments in a case where TikTok and ByteDance are challenging the enacted law. Company lawyer Noel Francisco stated that completing the deal by the specified deadline is impossible. According to him, a ban on the app would lead to the disappearance of short videos watched daily by 170 million Americans, effectively depriving the platform of the ability to exist within the country.

In response to the developing situation, Senator Edward Markey proposed a bill that would postpone the ban or sale by 270 days. In Markey's view, a ban would strike at the information and cultural ecosystem, leaving millions of users without a platform for communication and work. "This will have serious consequences for millions of Americans whose social and economic lives are closely tied to TikTok. We must prevent this," he stated.

Another Democrat, Ro Khanna, also appealed to Biden and the incoming president to suspend the ban. According to him, the issue touches on both freedom of speech and the economic well-being of citizens. "A ban will deprive 170 million Americans of access to a vital platform where they express their thoughts and earn a living. This is unacceptable," he emphasised.

For his part, Biden can extend the deadline by 90 days if significant progress by ByteDance in the asset sale process is confirmed. However, experts believe that the likelihood of the company meeting all requirements within such a short timeframe is extremely low.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump, reacting to the situation, filed a motion with the court requesting a stay of the law's implementation. He stated that after taking office on 20 January, he intends to find a "political solution" to the problem.

If the court does not halt the law's effect by Sunday, TikTok will face initial restrictions: new app downloads will be prohibited in app stores. Although current users will be able to temporarily continue accessing the platform, the app's functionality will gradually deteriorate. 

Ultimately, TikTok will cease operations entirely, as the companies supporting its operational activities will be required to terminate their cooperation.