TikTok’s Final Countdown: US ban looms as deadline nears
Popular video-sharing platform TikTok faces its biggest crisis yet as a potential ban in the United States looms, threatening to disconnect 170 million users from the app by Sunday. The move follows a recent US Supreme Court ruling upholding a controversial law citing national security concerns.
The ruling mandates TikTok’s Chinese owners, ByteDance, to sell the app to non-Chinese buyers or face a ban. The platform, beloved for its viral dance challenges and creative content, now finds itself at the centre of intense political and legal battles.
As the clock ticks down, TikTok CEO Shou Chew has made a passionate appeal to US President-elect Donald Trump, who takes office on Monday. In his plea, Chew thanked Trump for his interest in the app and urged him to take immediate action to prevent the enforcement of the ban.
“Our services will ‘go dark’ unless the administration provides a definitive assurance that the law will not target service providers,” Chew said late Friday, warning of the app’s shutdown.
Outgoing President Joe Biden, whose administration had earlier passed the legislation, has deferred the matter to Trump. The incoming president has acknowledged TikTok’s influence, especially among younger voters who played a role in his recent election victory. Trump has assured stakeholders that he is reviewing the situation.
“My decision on TikTok will be made in the not-too-distant future. Stay tuned!” Trump stated in a social media post.
Trump reportedly discussed the issue with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday, raising hopes of a last-minute resolution. However, ByteDance remains firm, rejecting offers to sell TikTok’s US operations, including a $20 billion proposal from investor Frank McCourt and Canadian businessman Kevin O’Leary.
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The impending ban has sparked widespread concern among lawmakers, companies, and users. The law requires tech giants Apple and Google to remove TikTok from their app stores, penalising them up to $5,000 per user if they fail to comply. Oracle, TikTok’s server host, could also face legal consequences.
If enforced, the ban could boost TikTok’s rivals, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts, while American users are already flocking to Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book), a Chinese app likened to Instagram. This week, it became the most downloaded app in the US Apple Store.
The TikTok ban highlights ongoing tensions between the US and China over technology and national security. Experts warn that even a presidential executive order by Trump may not override the law.
Sarah Kreps, a professor of government and law at Cornell University, stated, “If an executive order conflicts with an existing law, the law takes precedence, and the order can be struck down by the courts.”
As Sunday approaches, millions of TikTok users and content creators await an uncertain future, wondering if a last-minute resolution can save the app they’ve come to love.
Written by Sakinat Musa Abubakar, Editor at Neptune Prime
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