TikTok plans to shut down its app in the US on Sunday as a ban looms, affecting millions of users and raising national security concerns.
Washington: So, it looks like TikTok is gearing up to shut down completely in the US this Sunday. This is all happening because of a new law that’s about to kick in.
If you’re one of the 170 million users in the US, when you try to open the app, you’ll see a message directing you to a website with more info about the ban. You’ll also get a chance to download your data before it all goes away.
Now, this shutdown is a bit more than what the law requires. The law mainly says that app stores like Google and Apple can’t let new downloads happen, but if you already have TikTok, you could still use it for a bit longer.
But here’s the thing: TikTok is facing some serious accusations from Congress and the Justice Department. They say the app, owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, could be a national security risk. They’re worried about things like data collection and how the app might manipulate what you see.
TikTok, of course, denies all of this. They’re saying the law is basically a ban that goes against the First Amendment. They also argue that selling the app in the 120 days given by the law is just not realistic.
Interestingly, the Supreme Court might still step in and block this law before Sunday, but it doesn’t seem likely. During the recent hearings, the justices seemed to think national security concerns were more important than free speech issues.
And here’s a twist: President-elect Trump, who used to be really against TikTok, is now saying he’s not in favor of the ban. His team is even asking the Supreme Court to pause the ban so he can find a political fix.
Just last month, Trump met with TikTok’s CEO at his Mar-a-Lago resort. The divestment bill that’s causing all this fuss passed with strong bipartisan support and was signed into law last April, giving ByteDance 120 days to sell TikTok.
There’s also been chatter about Chinese officials possibly selling TikTok to Elon Musk, but TikTok called that “pure fiction.” Other potential buyers include Trump’s former Treasury Secretary and a billionaire who wants to rebuild the app’s algorithm in the US.
