TikTok has announced it will be forced to “go dark” in the US by Sunday unless the government intervenes to prevent a ban. In a statement on Friday, TikTok stated that the White House and the Department of Justice had not provided the necessary clarity or assurance to the service providers that support the app’s availability in the US.
The company warned that without government intervention, it would shut down on January 19. This comes after a Supreme Court ruling that upheld a law requiring TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to sell the platform’s US operations by Sunday, or face a ban.
The law, passed in April, mandates ByteDance to sell TikTok’s US business to a neutral party. TikTok challenged the law, arguing it violates free speech rights for its 170 million US users.
According to the ruling, the app will be removed from US app stores and web hosting services unless a buyer is found. Although it was previously thought that users with the app already downloaded would be unaffected, the app will eventually degrade without updates, making it unusable.
TikTok’s recent statement suggests that the app may become unavailable immediately for both new and existing users. Influencers and creators are already bidding farewell to their followers, with some announcing plans to share content on alternative platforms like the Chinese app Red Note.
This deadline coincides with President Joe Biden’s term ending and Donald Trump preparing to take office. Trump, who initially supported the ban, has now expressed opposition, saying he needs more time to review the situation.
ByteDance has vowed not to sell TikTok and will shut down its US operations if no solution is reached. Concerns over Chinese espionage have fueled the ban, with experts warning the app could collect more data than it reveals. TikTok maintains it does not share user data with Beijing.