TikTok has announced it will cease operations in the United States on Sunday, January 19, unless the Biden administration provides explicit assurance protecting its service providers from legal consequences.
The announcement follows Friday’s Supreme Court ruling upholding a law requiring ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, to sell its stake or face a ban. The legislation, passed with strong bipartisan support, aims to address national security concerns over potential Chinese access to American user data.
The White House has indicated it will defer enforcement to incoming President Donald Trump, who takes office on Monday. Trump, reversing his previous stance on TikTok, has expressed interest in saving the platform and recently discussed the matter with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
If implemented, the ban would affect 170 million American users. The Department of Justice could fine service providers, including Apple and Google, $5,000 per user who maintains access to the app.
Several potential buyers have emerged, including a group led by former LA Dodgers owner Frank McCourt. Reports also suggest Chinese officials have discussed selling to X owner Elon Musk, though TikTok dismissed these claims as “pure fiction.”
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Any sale would likely exclude TikTok’s algorithm, which China is expected to block from transfer. This means a new owner would need to rebuild the platform’s popular “For You” feed from scratch.
As the deadline approaches, some politicians who initially supported the ban are now advocating for an extension. The law allows the president to grant a 90-day extension if there’s significant progress toward a sale, though ByteDance maintains the app is not for sale.
Users are advised to prepare for potential service disruption starting Sunday, with VPNs offering a possible workaround to maintain access.
