TikTok has announced plans to shut down its service in the U.S. on Sunday, January 19th, unless the Biden administration takes immediate action.
The company stated it would be “forced to go dark” unless the outgoing administration provides a definitive assurance to its “most critical service providers”—including Apple, Google, Amazon, and Oracle—that they won’t face legal repercussions for continuing to support the app.
The announcement comes after the US Supreme Court upheld a law requiring TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to divest its ownership due to national security concerns. Following the ruling, TikTok CEO Shou Chew made a direct appeal to President-elect Donald Trump, but the company has not clarified its contingency plans if the law goes into effect at midnight on Saturday.
The Biden administration has deferred the issue to President-elect Donald Trump, who will assume office on Monday, January 20th. Trump has previously expressed a willingness to save TikTok and confirmed discussions with Chinese President Xi Jinping about various issues, including the app’s future.
The White House reiterated its stance on TikTok, emphasizing that the app could remain accessible in the U.S. under American or alternative ownership that addresses national security concerns. However, with the transition of power imminent, the administration acknowledged that enforcing the law would likely fall to the incoming government.
Meanwhile, the Department of Justice continues to back the ban. Attorney General Merrick Garland defended the Supreme Court’s decision, citing national security concerns related to TikTok’s data access by foreign entities.
As the ban looms, some lawmakers have started advocating for a delay to give ByteDance more time to divest. Senator Chuck Schumer reportedly urged President Biden to avoid implementing the ban, warning that it could tarnish his administration’s legacy.
TikTok issued the following statement regarding its potential shutdown:
The statements issued today by both the Biden White House and the Department of Justice have failed to provide the necessary clarity and assurance to the service providers that are integral to maintaining TikTok’s availability to over 170 million Americans. 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.
As the clock ticks closer to the ban deadline, TikTok’s fate hangs in the balance, leaving millions of users uncertain about the app’s future. Whether the incoming administration will provide a lifeline remains to be seen.
