A new federal rule that bans the popular video-sharing app TikTok might lead to its termination in the United States on Sunday, January 19, unless the government provides service providers with explicit guarantees about their accountability. TikTok will be banned nationally after the US Supreme Court upheld the federal legislation on Friday. How the shutdown will go is still unknown, though. So far, we know the following:
Due to concerns that its Chinese ownership could endanger American national security, TikTok said late Friday that its site would “go dark” for its 170 million American users on Sunday. The company is facing a federal ban. Tiktok was banned by the Supreme Court on Friday. This forbids TikTok from using the popular app unless it is sold by its parent firm in China, forcing the company to “go dark” this weekend unless the departing Biden administration guarantees the company it won’t enforce a shutdown.
TikTok could go dark
If the Biden administration doesn’t make a clear announcement guaranteeing that service providers won’t be penalised for breaking the law, TikTok said it will “go dark” in the US. “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.”.
If the ban is implemented, TikTok is anticipated to be taken down from the platforms of Apple and Google, which run significant mobile app shops. According to the new regulation, these businesses and internet hosting providers risk fines of up to $5,000 per user for continuing to offer TikTok access after ByteDance, the parent firm of TikTok, based in China, has to divest. Current TikTok users might still be able to use the app, but updates won’t be available, which might eventually make it unusable.
Duty of the Incoming Administration to Enforce The Ban
The government of President Joe Biden has said that it will stop enforcing the law on Sunday. The incoming administration will be in charge of enforcing the ban, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre explained.
In her statement, Jean-Pierre said, “The administration, like the rest of the country, has awaited the decision just made by the US Supreme Court on the TikTok matter. President Biden’s position on TikTok has been clear for months: TikTok should remain available to Americans but under American ownership or ownership that addresses the national security concerns identified by Congress.”
Potential Sale of TikTok
Although ByteDance has opposed selling TikTok, the deadline has sparked new interest from prospective purchasers. TikTok is worth more than $100 billion, according to Wedbush analyst Dan Ives, and may be worth up to $200 billion if its algorithm is sold. Interest has been shown by several people, including investor Kevin O’Leary and millionaire Frank McCourt. Experts predict that the Chinese government will not, however, authorise any transaction using TikTok’s highly sought-after algorithm.
Since merging with Musical.ly in 2017, TikTok has transformed from a specialised teen app to a worldwide cultural phenomenon. However, due to national security concerns voiced by US officials, President Biden approved bipartisan legislation in April 2024. According to the law, ByteDance must sell off TikTok’s US operations or risk being shut down. ByteDance has responded by suing the US government, claiming that the regulation is unconstitutional under the First Amendment and that the national security threats are fabricated.
