TikTok is preparing to shut down app in US on Sunday, sources say as federal ban looms

The short-form video app TikTok is reportedly preparing to shut down its U.S. operations on Sunday, people familiar with the matter told Reuters.

The Chinese platform is facing a federal ban which is set to take effect on the last day of the week, unless the Supreme Court accepts a last ditch legal bid from the owner ByteDance.

Last Friday, January 10, is when the country’s highest court heard oral arguments on the social media platform’s future.

The ban of the platform, which is used by 170 million Americans, came about due to the government arguing that TikTok’s Chinese parent company poses a national security threat.

While the back-and-forth has been ongoing for some time now, TikTok lawyer Noel Francisco told the Supreme Court last week: “We go dark. Essentially, the platform shuts down.”

The people who use the app, alongside the many content creators and business owners who have grown communities there, will be waiting with baited breath to see what happens on Sunday.

According to Reuters, the company could be planning to give users an option to download all their data so they can take a record of their personal information.

Incoming President Donald Trump has shown support for TikTok amidst potential shut down

The ban is scheduled to take place one day before Donald Trump’s inauguration and the businessman has previously shared his support for the app.

Credit: Truth Social

The Washington Post reported the incoming President is considering issuing an executive order to suspend enforcement of a shutdown for 60 to 90 days, but the report didn’t say how he could legally do so.

Trump’s incoming national security advisor Mike Waltz told Fox News on Wednesday that “TikTok is a fantastic platform” and “we’re going to find a way to preserve it but protect people’s data.”

The people cited in the Reuters report, who requested anonymity as the matter is not public, say that if it is banned, users attempting to open the app could see a pop-up message which will direct them to a website with information about the ban.

Featured Image: AI-generated via Ideogram

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