• Lawmakers urge President Biden to extend the TikTok ban deadline of January 19.
• A sale of TikTok's US assets by ByteDance may not be feasible within the given timeline.
• Senator Markey plans to propose legislation for a 270-day extension.
• A ban on TikTok would affect 170 million American users, ending their access to the platform.
• American content creators are beginning to explore alternatives like Xiaohongshu amid the uncertainty.

In a concerted move, U.S. lawmakers are pressing President Joe Biden to extend the looming January 19 deadline for China-based ByteDance to divest its U.S. assets related to TikTok or face an outright ban. This situation has escalated following a recent Supreme Court hearing, where arguments were made regarding TikTok's legal challenge against such a prohibition.

Noel Francisco, an attorney representing the companies involved, emphasized that achieving a sale by the current deadline is "unfeasible," warning that a resultant ban would rapidly lead to the platform's disappearance for the estimated 170 million American users—a situation that would "essentially" turn off the app overnight.

Biden retains the option to extend the deadline by 90 days, provided that ByteDance shows "substantial progress" towards divestiture; however, meeting this criterion seems improbable. Senator Edward Markey has indicated his intentions to introduce further legislation to prolong the deadline by as much as 270 days, articulating serious concerns that "a ban would dismantle a one-of-a-kind informational and cultural ecosystem, silencing millions in the process" (India Times).

He further stated, "A TikTok ban would impose serious consequences on millions of Americans who depend on the app for social connections and their economic livelihood. We cannot allow that to happen."

As tensions mount, American influencers have begun shifting to other platforms, such as Xiaohongshu, amid concerns over data privacy issues. The humorous commentary of influencers on this migration underscores the growing urgency of the situation, as many jest about their personal data concerns in light of the debate surrounding TikTok's relationship with Beijing's government.

Returning to the core issue, the administration's handling could define both the future of TikTok in the U.S. and the economic activities of millions who rely on the platform for their livelihoods.