The politicians who banned TikTok are actually making an attempt to put it aside

The January 19th deadline for the TikTok ban is quick approaching, however the social video app might need been given a lifeline. Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) is planning to introduce a bill that would give TikTok further time.

Particularly, Markey’s “Prolong the TikTok Deadline Act” would not undo the unique invoice banning the app totally, simply give TikTok an additional 270 days to adjust to its calls for and divest from its Chinese language mother or father firm ByteDance. Given TikTok’s dwindling variety of choices, if it is unable to sway the Supreme Court docket, that is the very best hope the app actually has.

“Let me be clear: TikTok has its issues. Like each social media platform, TikTok poses a critical danger to the privateness and psychological well being of our younger folks,” Senator Markey mentioned in his remarks asserting the brand new invoice. “However a TikTok ban would impose critical penalties on hundreds of thousands of People who rely on the app for social connections and their financial livelihood. We can’t enable that to occur.” For context, Markey did vote for the ban final April.

TikTok’s makes an attempt to dodge a ban have been unsuccessful to date

Its Supreme Court docket case can also be nonetheless awaiting a ruling

Solen-feyissa / Unsplash

The Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Apps Act signed into regulation in April 2024 requires ByteDance to promote TikTok by January 19, 2025. Quite than adjust to the invoice, TikTok first tried to appeal it, and failed. It then tried to file an injunction to pause the ban, which wasn’t authorized. Lastly, it brought its case to the Supreme Court, which heard the corporate’s authorized arguments towards the ban on Jan 10. TikTok’s argument largely rests on the concept the ban invoice violates its First Modification rights as an American firm, one thing some Justices on the courtroom appeared skeptical of, according to SCOTUSBlog.

A invoice that offers TikTok extra time would not essentially save the corporate, however it does give it extra choices as soon as President-elect Trump is inaugurated on January 20, 2025. Throughout his first time period, Trump was a major supporter of a TikTok ban, however his tune has modified heading into his second time period. He is referred to as for the Supreme Court docket to rule in TikTok’s favor, and he may try to overturn the ban as soon as he is in workplace, both by asking Congress to repeal the invoice that put the ban in place or by pushing the US Justice Division to not implement the ban and advantageous US app shops for letting TikTok be downloaded.

The story might be very completely different if the Supreme Court docket guidelines in TikTok’s favor, however till that occurs (which more and more appears unlikely), extra time to wiggle out of the ban is not essentially a nasty factor. It simply requires the remainder of Congress to agree with Senator Markey.

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