There's a push on Capitol Hill to stop a TikTok ban in the U.S.
President Joe Biden and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer spoke on Thursday about a potential ban, Scripps News has learned.
A White House official informed Scripps News that the president would not get involved before he leaves office.
Responsibility for a potential ban would instead fall to the incoming Trump administration.
Schumer reportedly advocated for delaying the implementation of a law set to go into effect on Jan. 19, giving TikTok's China-based parent company, ByteDance, more time to sell to an American company.
Expressing concern for TikTok's 170 million users, Sen. Ed Markey, a Democrat from Massachusetts, requested that the law be delayed for 270 days.
“Let me be clear: TikTok has its problems. Like every social media platform, TikTok poses a serious risk to the privacy and mental health of our young people. I will continue to hold TikTok accountable for such behavior. But 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," Sen. Ed Markey said in a statement.
TikTok is awaiting a Supreme Court decision on whether the law banning it will stand. A ruling could come as soon as Friday.
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It's not just Democrats who want to stop the ban from taking effect on Sunday. Scripps News spoke to several Republicans who voted for the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act. Some said President-elect Donald Trump should have a say in the law when he takes office on Jan. 20.
The CEO of TikTok has been invited to President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration on Monday, Scripps News has learned. A source familiar with the discussions tells Scripps News that Shou Zi Chew is expected to attend the event.
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