What you need to know as the app may go dark on Sunday

TikTok is set to “go dark” on Sunday for its 170 million US users after the Supreme Court upheld a law that would ban the app in the US.

In April, President Joe Biden signed a law requiring TikTok – owned by Chinese company ByteDance – to sell the popular social media platform to a US company or face a shutdown over fears that China’s involvement posed a national security threat .

TikTok said in a statement Friday “will be forced to go dark” on January 19 unless the Biden administration provides more definitive assurances ahead of the planned ban.

So what will happen on Sunday and what does it mean for TikTok and its US users? Here’s everything we know.

What will happen to the TikTok app?

Noel Francisco, a lawyer for TikTok, told the Supreme Court on Friday that it was his understanding that the app would essentially shut down if it got dark.

A person familiar with the company’s planning told NBC News this week that going dark on the app was a last resort. The information reported on Tuesday, before the Supreme Court ruling that the app could go dark rather than allow people already on it to continue using it.

In Friday’s statement, TikTok sought to pressure the Biden administration to provide more details about the outgoing president’s plans for the planned ban.

But the White House said in a declaration Friday that the Biden administration believes “that actions to implement the law” should be left to President-elect Donald Trump, who takes office on Monday. However, the White House made it clear that Biden believes that the platform should operate under American ownership.

The Ministry of Justice also issued one declaration Friday said it welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the law.

TikTok, which launched in the US in 2018, said both statements “failed to provide the necessary clarity and security for the service providers integral to maintaining TikTok’s availability to over 170 million Americans.”

It said it would go dark “unless the Biden administration immediately makes a definitive statement to satisfy the most critical service providers ensuring non-enforcement.”

In an updated statement Saturday, the White House dismissed TikTok’s threat as a “stunt.”

“We see no reason for TikTok or other companies to take action in the next few days before the Trump administration takes office on Monday,” the White House said. “We’ve made our position clear and straightforward: actions to implement this law will fall to the next administration. So TikTok and other companies should raise any concerns with them.”

Why is TikTok getting banned?

There are concerns that the video-sharing platform poses a potential national security risk due to China’s involvement in the app.

The Supreme Court on Friday upheld the law, rejecting TikTok’s argument that a ban would violate the Constitution’s First Amendment free speech protections. In its ruling, the court said the reasons for passing the law are “definitely content agnostic,” meaning they have nothing to do with restricting certain speech.

Attorney General Merrick Garland said the court’s decision allows “the Department of Justice to prevent the Chinese government from weaponizing TikTok to undermine the national security of the United States.”

“Authoritarian regimes should not have unfettered access to the sensitive data of millions of Americans,” Garland said in a declaration.

Deputy Prosecutor Lisa Monaco said the court’s decision “is focused on protecting Americans, not limiting free speech.”

What are TikTok users and creators doing?

Many TikTok creators have directed their followers to other platforms they are already on, including YouTube and Instagram.

Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, announced on Saturday that users could upload Reels up to three minutes long. The app previously only allowed Reels up to 90 seconds, but made the change after receiving feedback from creators who wanted to share longer videos.

Part of the appeal of TikTok is that it allows users to create shorter and longer videos.

“We hope that increasing this limit up to three minutes will help you tell the stories you really want to tell,” Mosseri said in a video message.

In October, YouTube announced that people could submit YouTube Shorts up to three minutes long, saying it was a top “desired feature by creators.”

Other Chinese-owned apps have gained popularity. Singer-songwriter Jaylah Hickmon, known by the stage name Doechii, let her 2.5 million TikTok followers know that they could find her on the app RedNote, which allows users to post short-form videos and upload photos.

However, the app is owned by Shanghai-based Xingyin Information Technology, and government insiders and experts fear it poses a greater national security and privacy threat than TikTok.

TikTok has also pushed its sister app Lemon8, which allows users to upload photos and videos. The app, owned by ByteDance, instructs users to log in with their TikTok accounts and asks them to follow the people they followed on TikTok who have accounts on Lemon8.

Users will then select their interests and what they would like to see before being taken to the main feed where they can scroll through videos and images.

Could Trump stop the ban?

The final decision on TikTok’s fate appears to be in the hands of the incoming president.

Although Trump unsuccessfully tried to get the platform banned in his first term, he has since changed his tune. During his 2024 campaign, Trump joined the app, saying in a video posted in June, “I want to save TikTok.”

On Friday, he issued a vague statement on Truth Social saying that “everyone must respect” the Supreme Court’s ruling. But in a phone call Saturday with NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” Trump said he will “most likely” give TikTok a 90-day extension.

TikTok CEO Shou Chew is expected to attend Trump’s inauguration on Monday and will sit with other tech executives. In one video On Friday, Chew thanked Trump “for his commitment to working with us to find a solution that keeps TikTok available in the United States.”

Can TikTok still be sold?

Yes, TikTok could still be sold, but ByteDance has repeatedly said it has no plans to sell.

There have been some serious offers to buy it, including from billionaire businessman and real estate mogul Frank McCourt.

McCourt and his Internet advocacy group, Project Liberty, announced on January 9 that it made a proposal to buy the site. “Shark Tank” investor Kevin O’Leary also joined the effort.

Former Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said last year that he was putting together an investor group to buy TikTok, CNBC reported.

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, as well as businessman and YouTuber Jimmy Donaldson, known online as MrBeast, have also expressed interest in buying the app.