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TikTok plans to cease U.S. operations this Sunday, impacting 170 million American users, unless ByteDance, its Chinese parent company, sells the platform to comply with federal law. The potential shutdown highlights a cautionary tale in the era of tech nationalism.
“On January 19th, as I understand it, we shut down,” TikTok lawyer Noel Francisco told the Supreme Court during last week’s hearing.
Current TikTok users won’t face legal consequences for keeping the app on their phones. The company will display a shutdown message to users and offer them a way to download their data before the service becomes unavailable. However, the service will gradually degrade as companies can no longer provide updates or technical support.
Potential 90-Day reprieve
President-elect Donald Trump, who takes office the day after the ban starts, might intervene. “We’re going to find a way to preserve it but protect people’s data,” his national security adviser Mike Waltz told Fox News. Trump’s team is considering a 60-90 day pause on enforcement to seek a resolution.
The New York Times reported that TikTok’s CEO was invited to the President-elect’s inauguration to sit in a “position of honor.”
TikTok has also asked the Supreme Court to block the ban while it fights the law in court. The company argues that the ban violates the First Amendment rights of its 170 million U.S. users. Justice Barrett noted that ByteDance could keep TikTok running by selling it to new owners. Despite these discussions, the court has yet to issue a ruling, leaving TikTok’s future in the U.S. uncertain.
The shutdown stems from a law Congress passed with strong support from both parties in 2024. The Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act requires ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese owner, to sell its U.S. operations or face a nationwide ban. The act, signed into law by President Biden in April 2024, reflects growing concerns about foreign-controlled apps. Lawmakers argue TikTok’s Chinese ownership could enable data collection or misinformation campaigns.
ByteDance asserts that 60% of its ownership comes from global investors like BlackRock and General Atlantic. The company employs over 7,000 people in the United States, who will keep their jobs even if the app shuts down.
Rising alternatives and global implications
The ban’s effects could reach beyond U.S. borders. TikTok’s ban may disrupt its global operations, as many cloud and support systems are U.S.-based.
Some Americans are already turning to alternatives. RedNote, another Chinese-owned social media platform similar to Instagram and Pinterest, has become the top-ranked social networking app in Apple’s U.S. App Store as users prepare for TikTok’s possible disappearance.
The Supreme Court could still intervene before Sunday’s deadline, either blocking the law entirely or allowing more time for review. For now, millions of American users wait to see if their favorite video-sharing platform will go dark this weekend.
