TikTok has revealed plans to cease its operations in the United States on Sunday, January 19, unless the Biden administration intervenes to prevent it. The announcement follows heightened legal and political challenges surrounding the app’s Chinese ownership.
Critical Service Providers at Risk
TikTok stated that it would be “forced to go dark” unless the administration provides a clear assurance that its key service providers—such as Apple, Google, Amazon, and Oracle—won’t face legal repercussions for supporting the app.
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In its official statement, TikTok said:
“Unless the Biden Administration immediately provides a definitive statement to satisfy the most critical service providers assuring non-enforcement, unfortunately TikTok will be forced to go dark on January 19.”
Supreme Court Ruling and ByteDance Divestment
The announcement comes after the Supreme Court upheld a ruling requiring TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to divest its ownership stake in the app. In response, TikTok CEO Shou Chew appealed to President-elect Donald Trump through a video message but did not outline specific actions TikTok might take when the law takes effect at midnight on Saturday.
Uncertain Future Under Trump Administration
The White House has indicated it will defer TikTok’s fate to President-elect Donald Trump, who will be inaugurated on Monday, January 20. Trump has expressed interest in saving TikTok and recently discussed the app in a conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping, alongside other trade and policy issues.
Department of Justice Reaffirms Ban
The U.S. Department of Justice has doubled down on enforcing the TikTok ban, which includes penalties of $5,000 per user for service providers that continue to allow access to the app.
With no definitive resolution in sight, TikTok’s future in the U.S. hangs in the balance.
