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TikTok Warns It Will ‘Go Dark’ in US on Sunday Without Action

TikTok Warns It Will 'Go Dark' in US on Sunday Without Action

TikTok has announced it will be forced to “go dark” in the US on Sunday unless the government intervenes before a potential ban takes effect.

In a statement, TikTok expressed frustration that “both the Biden White House and the Department of Justice have failed to provide the necessary clarity and assurance to the service providers essential for maintaining TikTok’s availability.” The company stated that without immediate government assurance that it would not face penalties for violating the impending ban, it would be “forced to go dark on January 19.”

This announcement follows a Supreme Court ruling that upheld a law prohibiting the app in the US unless its China-based parent company, ByteDance, sells the platform by Sunday. TikTok has challenged the law, claiming it violates free speech protections for its 170 million users in the country.

If no buyer is found in the coming days, the ruling would result in TikTok being removed from app stores and web hosting services. Initial expectations suggested that the ban would not affect users who already have the app downloaded, but TikTok’s latest statement implies it may become inaccessible to all existing users as well.

With President Joe Biden’s term ending on Monday and Donald Trump set to be sworn in as the next president, the White House indicated that it would be up to the incoming president to enforce the law. Trump recently voiced his opposition to the ban after initially supporting it, stating, “My decision on TikTok will be made in the not too distant future, but I must have time to review the situation.”

ByteDance has firmly stated it will not sell TikTok and plans to terminate US operations of the app on Sunday unless a reprieve is granted. Bipartisan lawmakers voted to ban the video-sharing platform last year due to concerns regarding its connections to the Chinese government, though TikTok has consistently maintained that it does not share user information with Beijing.

Credit: BBC News

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