Platform

Senator Markey Proposes Alternative To TikTok Ban With New Security Framework

Published on August 4, 2025

Democratic Senator Edward Markey introduced new legislation on July 31 that would establish national security safeguards for TikTok while ensuring the platform remains available to its 170 million American users. The proposal offers an alternative path to the current law requiring Chinese parent company ByteDance to divest TikTok’s U.S. operations by September 17.

Markey’s framework would eliminate the divestiture requirement if ByteDance implements transparency measures regarding content and restricts foreign access to American users’ data. This approach directly challenges the existing legislation passed by Congress last year.

“For months, I have been urging my colleagues to find an alternative path to the TikTok ban that keeps TikTok online without jeopardizing national security,” Markey stated. “With Trump continuing to illegally extend the divestment deadline, it’s time for Congress to reassert its legislative power, fix its mistake, and consider a new approach to TikTok.”

TikTok Divestiture

President Trump has extended the divestiture deadline three times since taking office in January, with the current deadline set for September 17. Several Democratic lawmakers, including Markey, have questioned Trump’s legal authority to grant these extensions.

A potential deal that would spin off TikTok’s U.S. operations into a new entity stalled earlier this year following trade tensions between the U.S. and China. The proposed structure would give new outside investors a 50% stake in TikTok’s U.S. business, with ByteDance’s existing American investors retaining approximately 30% and ByteDance holding just under 20%.

TikTok is reportedly developing a standalone U.S. version of its app, scheduled to launch in American app stores by September 5. This version would replace the current app entirely by March 2026 if a sale is completed.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick recently stated that TikTok will have to cease U.S. operations if China does not approve a sale of the app, while Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent noted that TikTok’s future did not arise during recent trade discussions with China.