TikTok announced late Friday that it will go dark in the United States on Sunday unless the White House provides assurances to other major social media platforms.
The company stated that its shutdown could be avoided only if President Joe Biden’s administration guarantees that firms like Apple and Google will not face enforcement actions once the ban is in effect.
This announcement follows the Supreme Court’s recent 9-0 decision to uphold a law that bans TikTok on national security grounds unless its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, divests ownership. As a result, TikTok faces the prospect of being blocked for its 170 million American users.
The ruling has left TikTok in limbo, with its fate now intertwined with political maneuvering. Former President Donald Trump, who has promised to rescue the platform, is expected to address the issue upon his return to the White House on Monday.
“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,” the company said.
The White House has declined to comment. Additionally, companies like Apple, Alphabet’s Google, and Oracle may incur substantial fines if they continue providing services to TikTok after the ban takes effect.
The law, passed with overwhelming bipartisan support in Congress last year and signed by Biden, has faced opposition from some of its original backers who now favor keeping the app operational. TikTok, ByteDance, and some of the app’s users challenged the law on First Amendment grounds, but the Supreme Court ruled unanimously against that argument.
ByteDance has made little progress on divesting TikTok by the Sunday deadline set by the law. However, the shutdown might only be temporary, as Trump — who previously attempted to ban TikTok in 2020 — has indicated that he plans to take action to save the app.
“My decision on TikTok will be made in the not too distant future, but I must have time to review the situation. Stay tuned!” Trump stated on social media.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is also set to attend Trump’s second inauguration on Monday in Washington.
