TikTok to ‘Go Dark’ on Sunday for its 170 million US users

On By Littum

TikTok said late Friday that its service would “go dark” for its 170 million US users on Sunday in the face of a federal ban over fears that its Chinese ownership poses a threat to US national security.

The company said in a statement posted on its website and the X that “unfortunately, TikTok will be forced to go dark on January 19” unless the Biden administration assures Apple, Google and other companies that they will not will be penalized for providing TikTok’s services in the US.

The statement was TikTok’s latest attempt to pressure the administration to grant it a reprieve from a law upheld by the Supreme Court on Friday that would effectively ban its service from Sunday.

The law says app stores and major cloud computing providers cannot provide TikTok to US consumers unless the company is sold by its Chinese parent, ByteDance, to a non-Chinese owner.

TikTok did not detail what would happen on Sunday, including whether it would voluntarily shut itself down or simply cease operations because it would lose access to services it needs to stay online.

The statement came after the Biden administration signaled that federal officials would not immediately take action against Apple, Google and the other companies under the law.

Lisa Monaco, the deputy attorney general, said in a statement after the Supreme Court’s decision that the process would play out “over time.” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said enforcement of the law would fall to the incoming Trump administration, which takes office on Monday.

TikTok said those comments were not enough to satisfy other companies that they would not run afoul of the law if they continued to distribute and maintain the app. These companies could face penalties as high as $5,000 for each TikTok user who accesses the app in the US after the ban takes effect.

“The statements issued today by both the Biden White House and the Department of Justice have not provided the necessary clarity and certainty to the service providers who are integral to maintaining TikTok’s availability to over 170 million Americans,” the company said.