TikTok is planning to close its app for U.S. users this Sunday, potentially coinciding with a federal ban on the social media platform unless the Supreme Court intervenes, according to sources familiar with the situation.
The consequences of the shutdown would differ from what the law dictates. The law would only ban new TikTok downloads from Apple or Google app stores, allowing existing users to continue using the app for a period.
As per the sources, TikTok intends to display a pop-up message to users attempting to access the app, redirecting them to a website with details about the ban. The sources, who preferred to remain anonymous, mentioned this as the matter is not public yet.
Additionally, the company plans to offer users the option to download all their data to retain a record of their personal information, the sources added.
TikTok and its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, have not responded immediately to requests for comment from Reuters. The Information was the first to report this development.
ByteDance, a privately held company, is predominantly owned by institutional investors like Blackrock and General Atlantic, with its founders and employees each holding a 20% stake. It has a workforce of over 7,000 employees in the U.S.
In April last year, President Joe Biden signed a law mandating ByteDance to divest its U.S. assets by January 19, 2025, or face a nationwide ban.
Recently, the U.S. Supreme Court appeared inclined to uphold the law, despite appeals from President-elect Donald Trump and legislators to extend the deadline.
Trump, set to be inaugurated the day after the law’s enforcement, expressed the need for time post-inauguration to seek a “political resolution” to the matter.
TikTok and ByteDance have requested, at the very least, a postponement in the law’s enforcement, arguing that it infringes on the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, safeguarding free speech against government interference.
In a court filing last month, TikTok stated that it anticipates one-third of its 170 million American users would cease using the platform if the ban were to last a month.
