TikTok says it will “go dark” in the United States on Sunday unless the government provides assurances a new law calling for its ban won’t be used to punish service providers.
“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,” TikTok said in a statement.
The US Supreme Court on Friday upheld a law supported by President Joe Biden and Congress that requires the app’s owner ByteDance to either sell TikTok or cease US operations by January 19.
“The statements issued today by both the Biden White House and the Department of Justice have failed to provide the necessary clarity and assurance to the service providers that are integral to maintaining TikTok’s availability to over 170 million Americans,” TikTok said following the Supreme Court decision.
The court agreed with the government’s national security concerns about Chinese company ByteDance’s ownership of the app.
ByteDance has firmly rejected selling its US operation, a stance also taken by Beijing, which has denounced the law as theft.
Even if the ban now stands, the Biden White House said it won’t enforce it, leaving the matter to incoming president Donald Trump.
Trump, who opposes the ban, discussed TikTok with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday.
“The Supreme Court decision was expected, and everyone must respect it,” Trump wrote on Truth Social as he said he would need time to find an alternative to the ban.
The Department of Justice noted that enforcing the law “will be a process that plays out over time,” in a potential sign that it does not intend to carry out the law for now.
Despite the court defeat, TikTok chief executive Shou Chew thanked Trump for his “commitment to work with us to find a solution.”
Trump “truly understands our platform,” he added.
TikTok has been lobbying furiously to thwart the law’s implementation with Chew set to attend Trump’s inauguration on Monday.
