Senators Unite to Urge TikTok Deadline Extension Amid Legal Battle

Senators Ed Markey and Rand Paul have called on President Biden to extend the TikTok U.S. asset sale deadline by 90 days. The Supreme Court will consider legal challenges on January 10. The law raises national security concerns, while TikTok argues it violates free speech rights.

In a rare bipartisan effort, Democratic Senator Ed Markey and Republican Senator Rand Paul have appealed to President Joe Biden, requesting a 90-day extension of the January 19 deadline for ByteDance, the China-based owner of TikTok, to sell its U.S. assets or face a ban.

The Supreme Court is set to examine the legal challenges surrounding TikTok on January 10, as the app's broad usage—encompassing 170 million American users—continues to trigger national security concerns. Critics, including Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, voice staunch opposition to any delay, drawing severe comparisons to a hardened criminal that drives home their view of TikTok as a pressing threat.

TikTok maintains it does not pose an immediate security risk and argues its protection under free speech in the First Amendment. Meanwhile, President-elect Donald Trump, reversing his previous 2020 ban attempt, has expressed an unexpected newfound warmth for the app, vowing to revisit the issue post-inauguration on January 20.

(With inputs from agencies.)