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Floor Speech

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Mr. MARKEY. Mr. President, I rise today to address the profound economic, social, and political importance of TikTok's creators and the serious consequences of a nationwide TikTok ban.

When the Senate passed legislation last year authorizing a ban on TikTok, it was bundled with essential foreign aid measures. Critically, the Senate never held a direct vote on the TikTok ban itself. This rushed process left many of my colleagues with the impression that ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, would divest from the platform, rendering the ban unnecessary, as its proponents had suggested.

Back in April, I took to this Chamber floor to warn that such an approach was ill-considered. Today, with TikTok on the brink of being banned in the United States, my concerns have become a reality because what we are learning is that the TikTok law is indeed a TikTok ban.

As the January 19 deadline approaches, TikTok creators and users across the Nation are understandably alarmed. They are uncertain about the future of the platform, their accounts, and the vibrant online communities they have cultivated.

Supporters of the law have often dismissed TikTok as trivial, characterizing it as a platform dominated by juvenile dance videos and seemingly inconsequential content. They were wrong then, and they are wrong now. TikTok, like all social media platforms, has flaws, but TikTok is also critical for millions of creators to earn a living, for young people to express themselves, and for Americans of all ages to foster community, share a laugh, and learn something new. Yes, sometimes these laughs come from the shared experience of attempting to learn and recreate a funny dance video, but just as often, TikTok provides a space for meaningful political conversations on everything from gun violence to climate change.

Most recently, TikTok users have been sharing harrowing videos of the devastating wildfires that have destroyed thousands of homes in California. These personal videos have provided a firsthand account of the tragedy, creating a virtual gathering space for shared stories, mutual support, and urgent calls for assistance to this climate change- created catastrophe.

Over the past 24 hours, I have received millions of views on my TikTok videos advocating for an end to the ban. One of these videos has over 20,000 comments and counting. That is tens of thousands of users reaching out to make their voices heard. I have been tagged in hundreds of stories over the past 24 hours as TikTok users have posted short videos explaining why TikTok is important for their lives.

Meredith Lynch, a writer and comedian from my home State of Massachusetts, currently residing in Los Angeles, said:

Here in Los Angeles I know I personally--and I know so many other people have been relying on this app during the fires. It is a way in which we are spreading [information that the] community [needs], it is a way in which we are spreading resources.

Rae, a user who has recently been diagnosed with thyroid cancer, explained:

Because of TikTok I was able to come on here and share my story . . . I was able to participate in the creator rewards program. That money is going to help me pay for my cancer surgery.

Mary, a disability rights advocate and low-income, single mother living in Rhode Island, shared that she plays ukulele on TikTok for tips, which pays for her groceries. She explained:

While the district failed me, I found a community on TikTok.

This is just a small sample of the thousands of stories that TikTok users are posting about the app's importance in their lives.

If my colleagues remain unmoved by these personal accounts, they should consider the political implications of the TikTok ban. The 170 million Americans that use TikTok each month will be furious when their favorite platform goes dark. That is 170 million Americans--170 million reasons to think very carefully about their position on the TikTok ban.

Make no mistake, these communities cannot be replicated on another app. Creators and small businesses cannot rebuild their audiences overnight. Many have stated that thanks to TikTok's unique culture, it is impossible to develop a similar following on another platform. Users cannot transfer their followers and communities to a new platform.

A ban would dismantle a one-of-a-kind informational and cultural ecosystem, silencing millions in the process.

The stakes are very high over the next week, and that is why I will soon introduce the Extend the TikTok Deadline Act to extend the deadline by which ByteDance must sell TikTok or face a ban, and it should be extended by an additional 270 days.

Now that my colleagues understand that the TikTok ban is real, we need time to have a deeper conversation about how to address the national security risk caused by ByteDance's ownership of TikTok. We need time to understand the ban's implication on TikTok's creators and users. We need time to consider alternative ideas.

This legislation does not repeal the original legislation; it merely allows for more time.

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 in our country. In fact, TikTok paid a fine for violating my law, the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, just a few years ago. I am proud of my law, and I am proud that the Federal Trade Commission took action under my law. But they have also done the same kind of action against American companies and fined them for doing the very same thing to children in our country online. So it is not just a TikTok issue; it is American companies that actually set the example for how young people in our country get abused.

Last year, I sent a letter to the Department of Justice urging it to quickly review the allegations that TikTok had violated COPPA yet again. I will continue to hold TikTok accountable for such behavior, but I will hold every American company, from Instagram to Facebook, all the way down the line, that is doing the very same thing to the children in our country.

A ban on TikTok does not solve the problem because young people in our country are still going to be going to American sites that will abuse them. And the Surgeon General tells us that there is a mental health crisis amongst young people in our country. This doesn't solve the problem. If we are going to deal with it, let's deal with it, but let's step back and understand that it is not just a TikTok issue; it is social media in general.

A TikTok ban would impose serious consequences on millions of Americans who depend upon the app for social connections and for their economic livelihood. We cannot allow this to happen.

I will urge the U.S. Senate to adopt my legislation to give the whole process an additional 270 days for us to debate it in a way in which we did not debate it last year on the Senate floor.

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