TikTok is preparing itself to cease all operations in the United States starting Sunday, January 19, 2025, if the federal ban takes effect, as per the schedule. The decision is part of the Biden administration's law that required TikTok's Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to either sell off its U.S. operations or face a complete shutdown.
It all started when President Joe Biden signed a law in April to address concerns about the nation's data privacy and national security. Many U.S. officials were worried that TikTok could share user data with the Chinese government. To prevent this, the law gave ByteDance a deadline to sell its U.S. business, and if the company doesn't comply, TikTok will be removed from app stores and will no longer function in the U.S.
While TikTok has tried to battle the decision in the U.S. courts, saying that such laws are against the spirit of the Constitution, its claims were dismissed. A federal appeals court maintained the regulations, citing that they did not violate the U.S. Constitution. TikTok then argued that the law goes against their rights to free speech and equal protection of the law, describing itself as the largest speech platform in the nation. However, these arguments were still dismissed by the court.
If TikTok shuts down, more than 170 million Americans will no longer be able to access the app. Users will receive notifications about the shutdown and will have options to download their personal data before the app goes dark.
Although, it's still uncertain whether the shutdown will happen as planned. President-elect Donald Trump will take office starting January 20, just one day after the scheduled ban, and is thinking about delaying the ban for 60 to 90 days, which could allow more time for negotiations regarding a possible sale of TikTok to a different company. The Supreme Court is also reviewing the legality of the ban, which could impact whether TikTok can continue operating in America or not.
What is still certain, though, is that Elon Musk wouldn't be the owner of yet another social media app, as TikTok called the possibility of a sale to him "pure fiction."
via Reuters
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