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Tiktok Readies for Possible U.S. Shutdown on Sunday

Tiktok Possible U.S. Shutdown

TikTok intends to disable its app for users in the U.S. on Sunday, as a federal prohibition on the social media platform may take effect, according to a report from The Information on Tuesday, unless the Supreme Court intervenes to halt it.

If TikTok is banned for all users in the U.S., the results would be different from what the law states. The law would only prevent new downloads of TikTok from Apple or Google app stores, meaning that people who already have the app could keep using it for a while.

If TikTok goes ahead with its plan to shut down operations in the U.S. this Sunday, users who try to open the app will see a pop-up message. This message will direct them to a dedicated website that provides information about the ban, as reported by sources cited by The Information. Additionally, TikTok plans to offer users the option to download all their data, allowing them to keep a copy of their personal information before the shutdown.

In April of the previous year, President Joe Biden enacted a law mandating that Bytedance divest its U.S. assets by January 19, 2025, or risk facing a nationwide prohibition.

The companies have requested, at the very minimum, a postponement in the enforcement of the law, which they argue infringes upon the First Amendment rights of the U.S. Constitution that safeguard against government restrictions on free speech.

In a court document submitted last month, TikTok stated that it estimates that approximately one-third of the 170 million Americans who use the app would cease to use the platform if the ban remains in effect for a month.