BOSTON — There’s a new push to extend the deadline Ban TikTok in the United States. Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey is among the lawmakers speaking out in support of the app’s developers.

At the moment, TikTok should be banned on January 19th. If the law goes into effect, people in the US who have not yet downloaded the TikTok app would no longer be able to access it. It will no longer be available for download in app stores.

Senator Markey is against TikTok ban

Markey gave an impassioned speech on the Senate floor Monday night, calling on Congress to extend the TikTok ban deadline by 270 days.

Markey has been very vocal in his support of the app, calling it a unique information and cultural ecosystem that thousands of people rely on to pay their bills and feed their families.

Just five days before the potential ban, Markey is introducing legislation called the “Extend the TikTok Deadline Act” that would give ByteDance, the Chinese company that owns TikTok, an additional 270 days to sell the app.

Markey also recently filed a bipartisan motion to repeal the ban entirely, saying it lacks evidence and violates First Amendment rights.

Republican Rand Paul of Kentucky and Congressman Ro Khanna of California filed the amicus brief with Markey.

TikTok ban threatens

With the ban less than a week away, some TikTok users are switching to an app called Rednote. It is also a Chinese app that is described as a mix of Pinterest and Instagram. It is currently the most downloaded app by Americans.

In a statement, Markey said “the stakes are high” as a possible TikTok ban looms.

“Let me be clear: TikTok has its problems. Like any social media platform, TikTok poses a serious threat to the privacy and mental health of our young people,” Markey said. “I will continue to hold TikTok accountable for such behavior. But a TikTok ban would have serious consequences for millions of Americans whose social connections and economic livelihoods depend on the app. We can’t allow that.”