Two U.S. senators are urging President Biden to extend TikTok's forced-sale deadline by 90 days before the January 19th cutoff. Senators Edward Markey (D-MA) and Rand Paul (R-KY) submitted a letter highlighting the pressing timeline and potential consequences.

The current deadline stems from the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, which requires ByteDance to sell TikTok or cease U.S. operations. While TikTok plans to challenge this law at the Supreme Court on January 10th, the outcome remains uncertain.

The senators' 170-word letter emphasizes two key points:

• ByteDance cannot realistically complete a divestiture by the current deadline
• Without intervention, TikTok will face an immediate U.S. ban, impacting creators and users

Under the law, President Biden can grant a one-time 90-day extension if he confirms to Congress that:

• A qualified divestiture path exists
• Significant progress toward divestiture is evident
• Binding legal agreements are in place

The timing is particularly critical as the deadline falls one day before President-elect Trump's inauguration on January 20th.

While some reports question whether the extension is legally possible, the law's flexible definitions of "significant" progress and agreements being "in place" suggest the president could approve the extension if desired. However, the administration has not yet indicated its plans regarding this request.

TikTok and ByteDance maintain their position against selling the platform, making the Supreme Court challenge and potential deadline extension crucial factors in determining the app's future in the United States.

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