As of today, everything points to the anti-TikTok law being implemented in the United States. Recently, ByteDance received another unfavorable ruling, this time from the Supreme Court, its last legal recourse. The fate of the app in the country is in the hands of the extraordinary measures taken by the current—or the upcoming—administration. Meanwhile, TikTok is preparing to “go dark” soon in the US if a solution does not emerge.
The April 2024 bill set January 19, 2025, as the deadline for ByteDance to sell its US TikTok stake. Otherwise, they will not be able to continue operating in the country. The US authorities clarified that they did not intend to force the app to be shut down immediately. The TikTok app could continue to work for those who have already downloaded it, even if it is no longer available in app stores. Lack of server maintenance will cause the service to “collapse” eventually, though.
TikTok ‘to go dark’ in the US soon if a last-minute solution doesn’t emerge
However, a recent report claimed that the company plans to shut down the app entirely for the American market. Now, it’s ByteDance who confirms that TikTok “will be forced to go dark” on January 19 in the US. “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,” reads the official statement.
On the other hand, the White House shared its own statement regarding the situation. “President Biden’s position on TikTok has been clear for months, including since Congress sent a bill in overwhelming, bipartisan fashion to the President’s desk: TikTok should remain available to Americans, but simply under American ownership or other ownership that addresses the national security concerns identified by Congress in developing this law,” the document says.
Both Apple and Google must be prepared to remove the app from their stores. If they do not, they will face fines of up to $5,000 for each user of the short video platform. The Biden administration is leaving it up to Trump’s cabinet to make the law official. However, Trump has been in favor of keeping TikTok running in the country. For now, the methods they will use to achieve this have not been officially revealed.
