ByteDance-owned TikTok will cease operations in the United States on Sunday when a federal ban takes effect, barring last-minute court intervention, Reuters reported Thursday.
The social media platform, used by 170 million Americans, faces a complete shutdown under legislation requiring its Chinese parent company to divest US assets by January 19. According to The Washington Post, President-elect Donald Trump is considering an executive order to suspend the ban's enforcement for 60–90 days after taking office Monday.
"TikTok itself is a fantastic platform," incoming National Security Adviser Mike Flynn said, according to Fox News. "We're going to find a way to preserve it but protect people's data."
A White House official said President Joe Biden would not intervene if the Supreme Court upholds the ban. However, NBC later disclosed that the Biden administration has been exploring options to maintain the platform's availability beyond Sunday. "Americans shouldn't expect to see TikTok suddenly banned on Sunday," an administration official told NBC.
The company has already begun preparing for a potential shutdown. "We go dark. Essentially, the platform shuts down," TikTok attorney Noel Francisco told the Supreme Court, Reuters reported.
US Senator Ed Markey sought unanimous consent Wednesday to extend ByteDance's divestment deadline by 270 days, but Senator Tom Cotton blocked the proposal.
If banned, users opening the app will see a message directing them to a website explaining the shutdown. The company also plans to offer users the option to download their personal data.
In a court filing, the company stated the shutdown could have global implications, as hundreds of US service providers supporting TikTok's worldwide operations would be barred from continuing their services.
The company estimates that one-third of its 170 million American users would stop accessing the platform if the ban persists for a month, according to court documents reviewed by Reuters.
