Three Democratic senators urged the White House to seek congressional approval to extend the deadline for China's ByteDance to sell TikTok, in order to prevent a potential ban on the popular video-sharing app.
In January, President Trump unilaterally extended the sale deadline from January 19 to April 5 by delaying enforcement of a law requiring ByteDance to divest a majority stake to U.S. owners. Failing to do so would result in a ban on the app in the United States. Trump mentioned last month that he could further extend the deadline to facilitate a deal.
Senators Ed Markey, Chris Van Hollen, and Cory Booker expressed their concerns regarding the non-enforcement of the TikTok ban, labeling it unlawful and raising questions about the app's future. They urged the president to support legislation that would extend the deadline to October, stating that the path to saving TikTok should involve Congress.
The White House and TikTok did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Reports indicate ongoing discussions among major non-Chinese investors in ByteDance to increase their stakes and acquire TikTok's U.S. operations. This plan includes creating a U.S. entity for TikTok to reduce Chinese ownership.
The future of TikTok, which has 170 million American users, remains uncertain months later. The senators called on the president to advocate for TikTok’s users and leverage his influence over congressional Republicans to secure a long-term solution.
Last year, bipartisan legislation was passed due to concerns that Beijing could exploit the app for influence operations against the United States. After a brief suspension, the app was reinstated shortly after Trump's inauguration.
Reports suggested the Trump administration was exploring a deal involving software giant Oracle and existing ByteDance investors to manage TikTok's operations. The Democratic senators also requested clarification from Trump regarding his intentions to extend the deadline and the legal justifications for such a decision. They inquired about reports indicating that the White House was considering a deal with Oracle, which would involve Oracle taking a stake in TikTok and securing user data.
Earlier this month, Trump noted that his administration was in discussions regarding a prospective deal for TikTok.