WASHINGTON, D.C. (WLNE) — U.S. Senator Ed Markey joined several other members of Congress in introducing legislation that would extend the deadline on a ban of social media app TikTok. The extension proposed in the law would leave the app in place in the United States for an additional 270 days beyond the original January 19 deadline. The deadline is the day by which owner ByteDance must sell the app or face a ban. “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 of the Extend the TikTok Deadline Act. “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.” Co-sponsor of the bill, Senator Cory Booker, cited the app’s use for American businesses in his decision to back the legislation. “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.” Also sponsoring the bill are Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Representative Ro Khanna (CA-17).   Categories: Massachusetts, News