The popular short video streaming platform TikTok might face a ban in the United States in a few days. However, this outcome depends on the decision that will be taken by the Supreme Court after a hearing on Friday. Here is all the information about the ban that could go into effect for TikTok and when it will shut down if a decision is not made in favor of finding a deal.
When will TikTok shut down in the US?
TikTok will likely shut down in the United States on January 19, 2025, as per a law signed by current President, Joe Biden.
The platform, which has over 170 million US citizens using the app, was put on a path to be banned in the country after a bill was signed by Biden. In April 2024, the Senate presented the US President with a law that dictated that TikTok must be sold to US ownership by January 19 or it would face this ban.
Additionally, the law stated that TikTok would have a 90-day extension if the transfer of ownership will be in progress by January from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance.
The reason the Senate is pushing for a TikTok ban is that they feel the application’s ties with ByteDance might compromise national security. The Justice Department’s filings stated that the app “collects vast swaths of data about tens of millions of Americans” which China could misuse “for espionage or blackmail.”
The Justice Department further noted, “TikTok may continue operating in the United States and presenting the same content from the same users in the same manner if its current owner executes a divestiture that frees the platform from the [People’s Republic of China’s] control.”
Thus, the Supreme Court is set to hear arguments from both parties on January 10, deciding the fate of the app in the US.
