TikTok prepares for US shutdown from Sunday, sources say

TikTok plans to shut down its app for U.S. users starting Sunday unless the U.S. Supreme Court intervenes to block a federal law that could ban the social media platform, sources familiar with the matter said.

The shutdown plan would differ from the legal mandate, which would ban new downloads of TikTok on app stores like Apple’s App Store and Google Play, but allow existing users to continue using the app for some time.

Under TikTok’s plan, people attempting to open the app will see a pop-up message directing them to a website with information about the ban, the sources said, speaking on the condition of anonymity as the matter is not public.

The sources added that the company also plans to provide users with an option to download all their data so they can keep a record of their personal information.

Shutting down such services does not require lengthy planning, according to one of the sources, who noted that operations have been continuing as usual this week.

If the ban is reversed later, TikTok would be able to restore service for U.S. users in a relatively short time, the source said.

TikTok and its Chinese parent, ByteDance, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The news was first reported by U.S. tech publication The Information.

ByteDance, a privately held company, is about 60% owned by institutional investors such as BlackRock and General Atlantic, while its founders and employees own 20% each. The company has more than 7,000 employees in the United States.

President Joe Biden signed a law in April requiring ByteDance to sell its U.S. assets by Jan. 19, 2025, or face a nationwide ban.

File Photo: Joe Biden, US president in Washington Reuters

Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court seemed inclined to uphold the law, despite calls from President-elect Donald Trump and other lawmakers to extend the deadline.

Trump, whose inauguration comes the day after the law goes into effect, has argued that he should have time after taking office to pursue a “political resolution” of the issue.

File Photo: Donald Trump takes the oath of office for his first term, with his wife Melania and son Barron at his side, in 2017. Reuters

TikTok and ByteDance have sought at least a delay in the implementation of the law, which they argue violates the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment protection against government interference in free speech.

TikTok said in a court filing last month that it estimates one-third of the 170 million Americans using its app would stop accessing the platform if the ban lasted a month.