TikTok, the social media platform with links to the Chinese Communist Party, is reportedly planning to shut down on Sunday, potentially in response to a federal ban that could take effect soon, according to a Reuters report.
Sources familiar with the situation revealed that the actual shutdown plan would differ from the legal mandate. While the law would only prohibit new TikTok downloads from app stores like Apple and Google, existing users would still be able to use the app for some time. However, TikTok’s plan would prevent U.S. users with the app already installed from accessing it. Users trying to open the app would be greeted with a pop-up message directing them to a website explaining the ban and would also be given the option to download their data.
The shutdown is reportedly not a complex process, as most of TikTok’s operations have been running as usual this week. If the ban is reversed later, the platform could resume service to U.S. users relatively quickly.
In response to the situation, ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, did not provide any comments when contacted by Reuters.
In December, President Joe Biden signed a law requiring ByteDance to sell its U.S. assets by January 19 or face a potential ban. The U.S. Supreme Court is also involved in the matter, with the possibility of issuing an emergency order to block the ban.
TikTok has more than 170 million users in the United States.
