TikTok to shut down for U.S. users starting sunday amid ban threat

TikTok plans to shut down its app for U.S. users if a federal ban takes effect Sunday. The shutdown goes beyond the proposed law, preventing app access entirely, while offering users a chance to download their data. This follows a law mandating ByteDance to sell U.S. assets by January 2025.

TikTok is preparing to shut down its app for U.S. users starting Sunday, as a federal ban on the platform could take effect, unless the U.S. Supreme Court intervenes, sources familiar with the matter confirmed. The ban would prohibit new downloads of the app from the Apple and Google app stores, but existing users would still be able to access it for some time.

However, TikTok's plan differs from the proposed law. Instead of simply halting new downloads, the app would prevent users from opening it altogether. Those attempting to access TikTok will be met with a pop-up message, which will direct them to a website with details about the ban. Additionally, the app will offer users the option to download their data, allowing them to keep a record of their personal information, according to the sources who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The law, signed by President Joe Biden in April of last year, requires ByteDance, TikTok's Chinese parent company, to divest its U.S. assets by January 19, 2025, or face a nationwide ban. TikTok and ByteDance have requested a delay, arguing that the law infringes on First Amendment rights by curbing free speech.

TikTok has warned in a court filing that if the ban is enforced for a month, up to one-third of its 170 million U.S. users could stop accessing the platform.

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