TikTok, the app loved by millions in the U.S., might be shutting down for American users on Sunday because of a new law set to take effect. This law could block TikTok from being used in the country, and if the ban happens, people won’t be able to open the app. Instead, they will see a message explaining why the app is no longer available.
The law, signed in April, says that TikTok’s owner, ByteDance, a company from China, must sell the app to another company if it wants to keep running in the U.S. If ByteDance doesn’t do this, the app will be banned. The law also stops people from downloading TikTok on Apple’s App Store or Google Play, starting this Sunday. If the app isn’t sold, the full ban will go into effect, making it impossible for users to access TikTok in the U.S.
In response to this situation, TikTok says it will “go dark,” meaning the app will no longer work for U.S. users. The app will be completely unavailable, and users will be directed to a website explaining the shutdown. Noel Francisco, TikTok’s lawyer, explained this in a recent U.S. Supreme Court meeting.
TikTok also wants to make sure users can save their data before the app shuts down. The company is offering users the chance to download their personal information, such as videos, photos, and account details, before they lose access to the app.
The U.S. Supreme Court is currently deciding whether or not to allow the law to stand. They could either agree to the ban, overturn it, or pause it for more time to make a decision.
If TikTok is blocked in the U.S., the company warned that the shutdown could affect users in other countries too. This is because many services that keep TikTok running worldwide depend on U.S.-based providers. If these services stop working, the app might not be available in other parts of the world.
TikTok is trying to avoid a full shutdown of its services. They believe this could hurt not just U.S. users but also the millions of people who use the app globally. If the ban is lifted later, TikTok said it could restore its services to U.S. users fairly quickly.
TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, has over 7,000 employees in the U.S. and is about 60% owned by big investors like BlackRock and General Atlantic. President Joe Biden signed the law in April, giving ByteDance until January 19 to sell the U.S. part of TikTok or face the nationwide ban.
In response, TikTok and ByteDance have asked for a delay, saying the law goes against the U.S. Constitution’s protection of free speech. They also believe that if the ban lasts for a month, about one-third of TikTok’s 170 million American users might stop using the app.
The future of TikTok in the U.S. is still uncertain, and we’ll have to wait for the Supreme Court’s decision to see what happens next. Stay tuned to find out if TikTok will be available on Sunday, or if the ban will take effect.
