- TikTok says it will close in the US on January 19
- There is uncertainty about the implementation of a ban
- The United States is about to change its president on Monday
You’ve almost certainly heard by now that TikTok could be about to be banned in the US next Sunday, January 19. The latest update today is that the social platform will “go dark” amid uncertainty over what the White House will actually decide. do.
According to an official statement from TikTok, “unless the Biden Administration immediately provides a definitive statement to satisfy the most critical service providers ensuring non-enforcement,” TikTok’s lights will go out in the US tomorrow.
So, will TikTok be banned in the United States or not? No one really knows, and that’s the point being made here. With so much uncertainty about what the incoming US president and the outgoing US president really want, TikTok has had enough.
There will undoubtedly be more to come and it is likely to be a busy weekend for both TikTok and the US administration. However, as things stand, don’t expect to be able to download or even access TikTok starting tomorrow, if you’re in the US, although with a change at the top of the US government, the blackout it might not be permanent.
Pretty complicated story so far.
If you’re just catching up on the TikTok ban, it’s been a long road to this point. You may remember that WeChat and TikTok were almost banned in the United States in 2020, during the first term of Donald Trump’s presidency.
The problem has always been the close ties between TikTok, its developer ByteDance and the Chinese government. U.S. officials are concerned that China is using TikTok as a way to influence millions of Americans, or as an outright espionage tool.
Not true, TikTok says, but the US government isn’t convinced, even if companies and creators could lose billions. The US Supreme Court upheld the original law to ban or sell TikTok to US interests this weekend, and time is almost up.
In recent days, TikTok CEO Shou Chew took to the platform to thank incoming President Trump for his support (Trump replaces Joe Biden in the White House on Monday), but TikTok’s latest statement suggests that the Parties involved will have to act very quickly. in fact, to stop a shutdown.
