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TikTok will be banned in the U.S. starting on Jan. 19, unless the popular social media platform cuts ties with its China-based parent company.
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The Supreme Court on Friday upheld a federal law and ruled in favor of arguments about the app’s potential national security threat.
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It’s not clear if the government will enforce the ban but TikTok has said it plans to shut down the platform in the U.S. by the deadline.
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TikTok will be banned in the U.S. starting on Jan. 19, unless the popular social media platform cuts ties with its China-based parent company.
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The Supreme Court on Friday upheld a federal law and ruled in favor of arguments about the app’s potential national security threat.
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It’s not clear if the government will enforce the ban but TikTok has said it plans to shut down the platform in the U.S. by the deadline.
According to a recent Supreme Court order, TikTok will be prohibited in the United States on January 19, 2025, unless the well-known social media platform severs its connections with its parent business, ByteDance, which is based in China. However, there are significant doubts as to whether the prohibition will be put into effect.
On Friday, the high court dismissed concerns about censoring the speech of TikTok or its millions of American users in favor of arguments regarding the national security threat posed by the company’s ties to China.
READ MORE: Federal rule requiring apps to be shut down is upheld by the Supreme Court in the TikTok ban
In the event that the government wins, TikTok has stated that it intends to shut down the platform in the United States by the deadline.
However, a source told The Associated Press that President Joe Biden will not impose a TikTok ban prior to his departure from the White House on Monday, leaving President-elect Donald Trump in charge.Additionally, Trump is looking into ways to “preserve” the app.
TikTok v. Garland: Full Decision
Look more closely:
Only a few days after the court heard arguments over the law’s validity, the 27-page decision was released Friday morning. Despite the unanimous decision, at least one justice expressed concern that the case’s rapid pace might have prevented the court from thoroughly weighing all relevant factors.
What is the TikTok ban law?
Later this month, the US Supreme Court upheld a regulation that prohibits TikTok from operating in the US unless it is acquired by a US corporation. David Coale, a constitutional lawyer, explains the implications of the ruling for the platform, its users, and the content producers who depend on it.
We know:
The company’s connections to the Chinese government raise national security concerns, according to the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (PAFACA), which was signed by President Joe Biden and approved with bipartisan backing last year. ByteDance must sell TikTok’s U.S. business by January 19 or risk being banned.
Existing users will no longer have access to updates and support, and TikTok will be removed from U.S. app stores if the sale is not finalized by that date. ByteDance challenged the law, arguing that it infringed upon First Amendment rights; however, the court’s decision means that the deadline will proceed.
What is unknown to us:
When will the government put the ban into effect? The deadline coincides with a shift in power and maybe philosophy as President Biden’s term ends on Monday and Donald Trump takes the White House back.
Biden does not want to implement the restriction right away, according to AP sources. Trump has stated that he will investigate ways to keep TikTok online, despite his earlier support for the ban.
“He’s a deal maker,” Florida Representative Mike Waltz, Trump’s choice for national security adviser, stated this week. “I don t want to get ahead of our executive orders, but we re going to create this space to put that deal in place.”
RELATED: Trump will decide the destiny of the app since Biden will not enforce the TikTok ban.
Furthermore, it is unclear what could take the position of TikTok. In the United States, the app currently has over 170 million users. Some analysts believe that the largest flood of TikTok’s former followers may occur on well-known social media sites like YouTube and Instagram. However, some users might utilize other apps like RedNote, which is also owned by Chinese people, if they’re searching for something else.
RELATED: Rednote, Lemon8: An overview of potential TikTok substitutes
FILE: This image depicts a smartphone screen with the Tik Tok logo.(Source: LightRocket/SOPA Images/Thiago Prud ncio via Getty Images))
When will TikTok shut down?
Timetable:
According to The Information, which cited two people familiar with the company’s plans, TikTok intends to disable its app for users in the United States on Sunday, the day the federal law will outlaw it.
Users who try to use the TikTok app will instead get a pop-up notice that takes them to a webpage that has information about the ban, according to the website. According to The Information, which cited unidentified sources, TikTok intends to allow users to download all of their data so they can keep a record of their personal information with them.
Alternatives to TikTok
Look more closely:
Some users are looking for alternative social media platforms to generate and watch content because of TikTok’s unclear future in the United States.
What is Lemon8?
A photo-based app that combines elements of Pinterest and Instagram, Lemon8 is dotted with videos that look like those on TikTok. A few years after making its debut in Asian countries, it made its U.S. debut in 2023.
Device IDs, browser histories, IP addresses, and other user data are gathered by the social media app. Similar to TikTok, Lemon8’s main feed features a “For You” area that suggests other postings and a “following” section that lets users view material from producers they follow.
What is RedNote?
According to USA Today, which cited the Financial Times, RedNote, which debuted in 2013, has grown to become one of China’s fastest-growing social media sites, valued at over $17 billion.
The social media site is called Xiaohongshu, which translates to “little red book,” and is referred regarded as a Chinese Instagram. Its layout is akin to Pinterest’s. TechCrunch claims that the app’s emphasis on transient content, akin to TikTok, has made it a respectable substitute.
RELATED: As TikTok users switch to RedNote, Duolingo reports a rise in Americans learning Chinese.
The Origin:Information from the U.S. Supreme Court case TikTok Inc. v. Garland and the federal statute on TikTok’s security danger were used to report this story. Cincinnati reported it. Contributions came from the Associated Press and Daniel Miller.
