TikTok ban live: App gives ultimatum it would ‘go dark’ for 170 million American users on Sunday

US TikTok ban: When will the Chinese-owned social media app be banned?

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The fate of 170 million TikTok users is now in the hands of President-elect Donald Trump.

On Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the law that requires TikTok to be sold to a U.S. company or be banned by Sunday, January 19.

But, the White House said it would not enforce the law since Trump takes office the following day, leaving it up to the incoming president.

Trump has promised to “save” TikTok – though it’s unclear how he plans to do so.

A law, passed by Congress last year, requires TikTok to divest from its parent company, ByteDance, due to its proximity to the Chinese government. Lawmakers are concerned that China, a foreign adversary, could access Americans’ data and impede their privacy.

TikTok asked the Supreme Court to intervene, believing it was a violation of the First Amendment. The court disagreed.

While the law only requires that TikTok be taken down from Google and Apple app stores, TikTok has indicated that it will take itself offline completely. Though without an enforcement mechanism, it’s unclear if that will still happen.

Rep. Gallagher speaks out on TikTok decision: Trump administration has chance for ‘deal of a century’

Wisconsin Republican Rep. Mike Gallagher speaks during a news briefing in May 2018 in Washington, D.C. Gallagher says if TikTok goes “dark,” Chinese parent company ByteDance will have ‘no one to blame but itself’ (Getty Images)

Julia Musto18 January 2025 08:01

Kentucky Republicans speak out against potential TikTok ban

Julia Musto18 January 2025 07:00

Sen. Mitch McConnell urged Supreme Court to uphold TikTok ban-or-divestment

Kentucky Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell Ispeaks during a press conference following last January in Washington, D.C. McConnell said he urged the Supreme Court to allow the ban-or-divest law to take effect (Getty Images)

Sen. Mitch McConnell said Friday that he had submitted an amicus briefing urging the Supreme Court to allow the TikTok ban-or-divestment law to take effect.

“The Protecting Americans’ Data from Foreign Adversaries Act of 2024 … is entirely consistent with the First Amendment. The right to free speech enshrined in the First Amendment does not apply to a corporate agent of the Chinese Communist Party,” McConnell wrote in his argument.

Julia Musto18 January 2025 06:00

Washington state senator reacts to TikTok decision: It ‘confirmed that there’s a real there there’

Julia Musto18 January 2025 05:00

Sen. Rand Paul on possible TikTok ban: ‘It’s an affront to the First Amendment’

Julia Musto18 January 2025 04:01

TikTok says it will go dark on Sunday unless Biden intervenes

TikTok has said it will go dark in the U.S. on Sunday unless the Biden administration guarantees that it won’t punish Apple, Google and other service privoders if they support the app.

They claimed that both the Biden White House and Department of Justice had failed to provide the “necessary clarity” to platforms that provide the app 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,” the statement on Friday read.

Andrew Georgeson18 January 2025 02:13

Sen. Tom Cotton reacts to Supreme Court decision: Court ‘correctly rejected TikTok’s lies and propaganda masquerading as legal arguments’

Julia Musto18 January 2025 02:01

Read the opinion: Supreme Court upholds TikTok ban-or-sale law

Callie Goodwin, holds a sign in support of TikTok outside the Supreme Court on Friday in Washington, D.C. TikTok is set to go dark in the U.S. as soon as Sunday (AP)

Read the opinion from the Supreme Court here.

Julia Musto18 January 2025 01:00

AG Merrick Garland says the Supreme Court’s decision allows the DOJ to prevent China from ‘weaponizing’ TikTok

Attorney General Merrick Garland delivers a farewell address to Justice Department employees at the Robert F. Kennedy Building in Washington, D.C., on Thursday. Garland said the Supreme Court’s decision affirms that the act protects the national security of the U.S. (Getty Images)

“The Court’s decision enables the Justice Department to prevent the Chinese government from weaponizing TikTok to undermine America’s national security,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement.

“Authoritarian regimes should not have unfettered access to millions of Americans’ sensitive data. The Court’s decision affirms that this Act protects the national security of the United States in a manner that is consistent with the Constitution.”

Julia Musto18 January 2025 00:00