TikTok could 'go dark' in US Sunday after Supreme Court ruling
Saturday, January 18, 2025, 16:21 GMT+7
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.
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.
The law requires Apple and Google to remove TikTok from their app stores, blocking new downloads. The companies could face penalties of up to $5,000 per user who can access the app.
Chew gave no indication on whether TikTok would unilaterally shut down its platform in the United States when the ban kicks in, as reported in US media.
TikTok's lawyer Noel Francisco had warned it would shut down Sunday in case of a legal defeat.
'Viable deal'
Trump's incoming national security advisor Mike Waltz told Fox News the administration would work "to keep TikTok from going dark," noting the law allows a 90-day delay if the White House can show progress toward "a viable deal."
Former Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt has expressed interest in leading a purchase of TikTok's US activity and said he's "ready to work with the company and President Trump to complete a deal."
The ban would hugely benefit US-owned rivals Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts, but influencers said that TikTok's unique abilities could not be matched.
"Making videos and reaching people on TikTok is so much easier than a lot of other platforms," said Nathan Espinoza, who has more than 500,000 followers on TikTok.
Courtney Spritzer, head of digital marketing agency Socialfly, said TikTok creators were in "great uncertainty."
Among advertisers, "some are betting there will be a shutdown while others are more optimistic that it will continue to exist after Sunday."
