In an update released on Friday evening, TikTok announced what it described as a “potential shutdown” after tomorrow. Essentially, TikTok intends to cease operations in the United States over the weekend, following the Biden administration’s approach of delaying enforcement to the Trump administration.
TikTok points to the confusion among crucial service providers regarding the meaning of non-enforcement from both the White House and the DOJ:
The statements made today by the Biden White House and the Department of Justice have not provided the necessary clarity and reassurance that our essential service providers require to ensure TikTok remains accessible to over 170 million Americans.
Without an immediate and definitive assurance from the Biden Administration to clarify non-enforcement for our critical service providers, TikTok will unfortunately have no choice but to go offline on January 19.
Another interpretation could be that TikTok aims to illustrate to its U.S. user community the implications of a ban should the Trump administration choose to enforce it. The legislation in question does not outright ban TikTok’s operations in the U.S.; instead, it mandates that China divests its holdings in TikTok in favor of U.S. ownership. This aspect of the law was supported by the U.S. Supreme Court today as it dismissed TikTok’s free speech defense (which does not apply to Chinese entities).
As of Monday afternoon, the transition of power will occur as former President Trump takes over from President Joe Biden. Trump has opted to remain noncommittal regarding how his administration will approach the enforcement of the TikTok divestment legislation.
What lies ahead? It’s possible that the Biden administration may issue a stronger statement affirming TikTok’s ability to continue its operations in the U.S. Conversely, TikTok could strategically choose to temporarily go dark on Sunday to demonstrate to users the reality of the divest-or-bust scenario for their beloved and addictive app.
In the meantime, TikTok’s head in the United States is expected to attend President Trump’s inauguration event on Monday alongside tech industry leaders like Apple CEO Tim Cook and other patriotically-minded figures.
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