TikTok has announced plans to shut down its operations in the US on Sunday, January 19th, unless the Biden administration steps in to prevent it.
The company confirmed earlier reports that it will be “forced to go dark” on that date unless the outgoing administration issues a “definitive statement” ensuring its “most critical service providers” won’t face legal consequences. These providers include Apple and Google, which distribute TikTok through their app stores, as well as hosting partners like Amazon and Oracle.
The exact statement from TikTok says:
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.
This announcement comes in the wake of a Supreme Court decision on Friday that upheld a law requiring TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to divest its ownership stake in the app. Following the ruling, TikTok CEO Shou Chew appealed to President-elect Donald Trump in a video message but did not clarify what actions the company might take when the law takes effect at midnight on Saturday.
TikTok’s future remains uncertain as the White House has indicated it will leave the app’s fate in the hands of Donald Trump, who has vowed to save it. Trump, set to be inaugurated as president on Monday, January 20th, revealed on Friday that he had discussed “balancing trade, fentanyl, TikTok, and many other subjects” during a conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
At the same time, the Department of Justice, responsible for enforcing the TikTok ban, has reaffirmed its support for the measure. The ban includes penalties of $5,000 per user for U.S. service providers that continue to allow access to the app.
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