Popular social media platform TikTok has announced its intention to halt operations in the United States starting Sunday, January 19, if the Biden administration does not intervene in the current situation. The company is seeking an official statement from the government to ensure protection for its key partners such as Apple, Google, Amazon, and Oracle, to shield them from potential legal repercussions.
This announcement from TikTok comes after a ruling by the US Supreme Court upholding a law that requires China-based company ByteDance to divest its ownership stake in the popular app. Failure to comply with this requirement would lead to a ban on TikTok in the country.
The Biden administration has indicated that any further steps to enforce the law will be deferred to the incoming Donald Trump administration, which is set to assume office on Monday, January 20. President Trump had previously vowed to support TikTok and had discussions on the matter with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The US Department of Justice has backed the ban, citing concerns about national security risks stemming from potential access to American user data. However, some lawmakers who initially supported the ban are starting to reconsider their stance. Senator Chuck Schumer has pointed out that enforcing the law could have negative implications for Biden’s presidency.
TikTok has warned that unless there is clarity on the situation, the app will not be accessible to its 170 million American users starting January 19.