The saga surrounding TikTok’s compelled sell-off from its Chinese parent, ByteDance, persists with a last-minute proposal that could extend the period for finalizing a transaction. On Monday, Senator Ed Markey from Massachusetts proposed the Extend the TikTok Deadline Act, which, if approved, would provide the company with an additional 270 days to either divest or face the prospect of a shutdown in the U.S. This development was previously highlighted by The Verge.

Following a directive issued by President Biden in April of this year, TikTok must secure an American owner by January 19th. Nevertheless, the company has consistently expressed no intent to separate from ByteDance, although recent reports imply that the Chinese government is considering a sale of TikTok to Elon Musk—an arrangement perceived to be potentially more problematic than an outright ban. Having invested $250 million to back Trump’s bid for the presidency, Musk might anticipate a significant return. TikTok swiftly refuted this report.

Concurrently, TikTok is endeavoring to safeguard its existence through the judicial system, with the Supreme Court having entertained oral arguments about the original legislation last Friday. Though TikTok, alongside numerous creators, argues that such a ban would contravene the First Amendment, the justices appear doubtful. The administration contends that the prohibition is essential for national security and does not infringe on free speech rights as it targets the regulation of the service itself, rather than the content produced on it.

The 2020 precedent with the gay dating app Grindr being pressured to disengage from its Chinese owner after the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. (CFIUS) concluded the data could potentially be misused to coerce or manipulate American users. There is no substantiation that TikTok’s data has been mishandled or that the company has sought to influence users’ perspectives on any topic, which is another factor prompting TikTok to resist a ban. TikTok maintains that the Chinese government lacks control over its operations; however, the speculation that the Chinese government is considering a transaction for TikTok casts doubt on this assertion.

“TikTok has its issues,” remarked Sen. Markey on Monday, further stating “a TikTok ban would result in severe impacts on countless Americans reliant on the platform for social ties and economic sustenance. We must not permit this to occur.” Presently, TikTok boasts over 170 million monthly users within the United States.

In an unusual alliance, President-elect Trump has completely reversed his stance from his initial term when he sought to prohibit TikTok. Since then, he has established an account on the application, amassing upwards of 14 million followers, and now aims to prevent the ban from being enforced, at least until he has the opportunity to resolve the matter independently. Trump has warned against prohibiting TikTok, asserting it would only increase Meta’s power, even though he appears to be on amicable terms with CEO Mark Zuckerberg currently.

Meanwhile, TikTok’s users have been safeguarding themselves by flocking to another Chinese short-form video platform, RedNote, rendering the notion of banning TikTok to shield against Chinese influence ineffective. The populace desires TikTok and its entire offering of short-form content, like a ravenous animal at a feeding trough.