TikTok was set to be banned from the US within a matter of days, but Congress may be about to grant it an extension of 270 days.In related news, Chinese officials have denied a Bloomberg report that Bytedance is considering selling its US operations to X owner Elon Musk The story so farThe saga began back in 2020, when then-president Trump announced that he would ban TikTok from the US unless the app was sold to a US companyby September of that year. The deadlinewas twice extendedbefore it was quietly allowedto lapse with no action.However,Congress picked things upin 2023, with a new law intended to either banTikTokfrom the US, or to force the sale of the app to an American-owned company.Bytedancetook the US government to court, arguing that the threatened ban would be unconstitutional, interfering with a First Amendment right to free speech.That case was heard last month, with thejudges unanimously rejectingthe constitutional argument. The last hope was a bid for a Supreme Court injunction, but that now looks unlikely to be granted.TikTok may get a 270-day extensionA senator is now trying to pass a new law to give the company more time to reach a deal to sell to a US company.Senator Edward J. Markey announced his plan to introduce legislation, the Extend the TikTok Deadline Act, to delay the deadline by which ByteDance must sell TikTok or face a ban by an additional 270 days.He said theres too much at stake to allow the ban to be implemented on Sunday.As the January 19th 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.These communities cannot be replicated on another app. A ban would dismantle a one-of-a-kind informational and cultural ecosystem, silencing millions in the process.Its not yet known whether Markey has sufficient support for the bill to pass.Chinese officials deny Elon Musk reportBloomberg yesterday reported that the Chinese government is considering an offer from Elon Musk.Chinese officials are evaluating a potential option that involvesElon Muskacquiring the US operations ofTikTokif the company fails to fend off a controversial ban on the short-video app, according to people familiar with the matter []Senior Chinese officials had already begun to debate contingency plans for TikTok as part of an expansive discussion on how to work withDonald Trumps administration, one of which involves Musk.However, The Independent reports that this has been denied.In response to the reports, a TikTok spokesperson said: We cant be expected to comment on pure fiction.Photo byVisualsonUnsplashAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel