TikTok is preparing for a shutdown in the US on Sunday: report
TikTok is preparing to disable access to its app for US users starting Sunday, coinciding with the possible enforcement of a federal ban on the platform. However, the move could be stopped if the Supreme Court intervenes to block the ban.
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TikTok plans to shut down its app to US users on Sunday, when a federal ban on the social media app could go into effect unless the Supreme Court moves to block it, The Information reported on Tuesday. . If TikTok were shut down to all US users, the outcome would be different than that mandated by law. Under the law, new TikTok downloads will be banned only on the Apple or Google app stores, while existing users can still continue using the app for some time.
Under TikTok’s plan, people trying to open the app will see a pop-up message taking them to a website with information about the ban, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter.
The report says TikTok also plans to give users the option to download all their data so they can take a record of their personal information with them.
TikTok and its Chinese parent company ByteDance did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comments. President Joe Biden signed a law in April last year requiring ByteDance to sell its US assets by January 19, 2025 or face a nationwide ban.
The companies have, at a minimum, sought to delay implementation of the law, which they say violates the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment protection against government curtailment of free speech.
TikTok said in a court filing last month that it estimated one-third of the 170 million Americans who use its app would lose access to the platform if the ban lasted a month.
