TikTok says it will “go dark” for its 170 million American users on January 19 unless the Biden administration guarantees that Apple, Google, and other service providers will not be punished for distributing the popular video-sharing app.
The Chinese-owned company is threatened by a U.S. law, upheld by the Supreme Court on January 17, that effectively bans TikTok unless it is sold to a non-Chinese owner.
President Joe Biden signed the ban into law last April.
The ban concerns national security risks tied to China’s potential influence over American TikTok users.
On January 17, the Supreme Court sided with the U.S. government, pointing to TikTok’s “susceptibility to foreign adversary control.”
Though federal officials have hinted they may not immediately move against Apple and Google, TikTok says that promise is insufficient.
The company said service providers lack “the necessary clarity and assurance” to keep its platform available.
Violations could incur penalties of up to $5,000 per user.
The Biden administration said enforcement “will play out over time,” while President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to respect the court’s ruling but offered no definitive plan.
TikTok did not say whether it would shut down voluntarily or fail to function once key service providers cut it off.
The app, which lost 200 million users in India under similar national security concerns, faces another massive setback if U.S. access ends.
TikTok insists the Chinese government holds no control over its operations.
ByteDance, based in Beijing, faces intense U.S. political pressure to divest from its American operations.
As the Sunday deadline approaches, millions of TikTok fans prepare to lose access to the video-sharing app.
