Booker, Markey, Wyden, Khanna Announce Legislation to Extend TikTok Ban Deadline 

170 million American users, including small businesses and non-profit organizations, would be impacted by January 19 deadline 

WASHINGTON, D.C. –  Today, U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Congressman Ro Khanna (D-CA-17) announced the introduction of the Extend the TikTok Deadline Act, legislation that would delay the January 19 deadline by which ByteDance must sell TikTok or face a ban, by an additional 270 days.

“Tens of millions of Americans use TikTok for entertainment, business, and social networking, including myself,” said Senator Booker. “Americans should not be shut off from freely expressing themselves on the platforms they choose. I do believe that ByteDance should divest from TikTok, but it should be given sufficient time to carry out a sale. That’s why I’m partnering with Senators Markey and Wyden on this legislation that would extend the deadline.” 

“The TikTok ban was rushed through without sufficient consideration of the profound consequences it would have on the 170 million Americans who use the platform,” said Senator Markey. “Today, TikTok is a space where users share critical resources during emergencies such as the Los Angeles wildfires, earn money to cover groceries and medical care, and build community in challenging times. The Extend the TikTok Deadline Act is a straightforward, one-sentence bill designed to give Congress the time needed to fully assess the implications of this ban. I urge my colleagues to act swiftly on this legislation.” 

“The rushed divestment of Tiktok is a huge giveaway to Donald Trump and his cronies, who are poised to scoop up a massive social media company and turn it into another partisan mouthpiece. I don’t take a backseat to anyone when it comes to protecting American’s personal data from China — I’ve written three of the strongest bills on offer to protect sensitive U.S. data. Extending the deadline to sell TikTok will allow Congress to consider better ways to mitigate threats from China, courts to review the law, and additional bidders to make proposals to acquire TikTok with more time for public scrutiny,” said Senator Wyden.

“A ban on TikTok violates the free speech of 170 million Americans and hurts the livelihoods of creators and small business owners who use the app,” said Representative Khanna. “We need laws to protect Americans’ data, but banning TikTok is not the answer. I’m proud to join Senator Markey in introducing this legislation to pause the TikTok ban for 270 days.”

Last year, the TikTok sell-or-ban legislation was forced into a larger bill to provide vital humanitarian aid, fight global starvation, and fund other key priorities. At the time, Senator Booker issued a statement noting: “I would have voted against this provision if I had the opportunity, not because I don’t have concerns about TikTok or its ownership structure–I do–but because I worry that Congress is missing an opportunity to address larger issues with social media in general, from screen addiction, to its negative effects on mental health, to the alarming impact it can have on the well-being of American children, to privacy, to the stunning proliferation of hate speech online, to its use for bullying and intimidation, to its toxic spread of misinformation, and many more. Congress should take on these broader challenges in a separate bill and have a full debate on them, and I worry the urgency to address them will be lost by this piecemeal approach.”

To read the full text of the bill, click here.