TikTok late Friday warned that it will go dark in the United States on Sunday except President Joe Biden’s administration provides assurances to companies like Apple and Google that they will not face enforcement actions when a ban takes effect.
This is coming hours after the US Supreme Court upheld a law banning TikTok in the United States on national security grounds if its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, does not sell it, putting the popular short-video app on track to go dark in just two days.
The decision of the court threw the social media platform and its 170 million American users off balance and its fate in the hands of the incoming president, Donald Trump, who has vowed to rescue TikTok after returning to the presidency on Monday.
“The statements issued today by both the Biden White House and the Department of Justice have failed to provide the necessary clarity and assurance to the service providers that are integral to maintaining TikTok’s availability to over 170 million Americans.
“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,” TikTok said in a statement.
Following the US Supreme Court’s decision, the incoming president, Donald Trump, in a post on social media said the Supreme Court decision was expected, and everyone must respect it.
“My decision on TikTok will be made in the not too distant future, but I must have time to review the situation. Stay tuned,” he said.
Responding to the decision, TikTok CEO, Shou Chew, said that the company will continue its efforts to ensure the app remains accessible for Americans potentially now with an assist from President-elect, Donald Trump.
“We have been fighting to protect the constitutional right of free speech for the more than 170 million Americans who use our platform every day to connect, create, discover and achieve their dreams.
“On behalf of everyone at TikTok, and our users across the country, I want to thank President Trump for his commitment to work with us to find a solution that keeps TikTok available in the United States,” Chew said.
