What will happen to TikTok on Apple and Google app store on Sunday?

With President-elect Donald Trump adding uncertainty over whether a TikTok ban will go into effect, the focus now turns to companies like Google and Apple expected to take on the popular video-sharing app off their platforms in just two days.

Though The Supreme Court unanimously agreed on Friday a federal law that could ban TikTok nationwide, it’s unclear how a shutdown of the popular social media platform will play out and what Americans will see when the clock strikes midnight Sunday.

The court’s ruling comes amid unusual political agitation from Trump, who promised he could negotiate a settlement after he takes office, and President Joe Biden’s administration, which has signaled that it will not enforce the law from Sunday, his last full day in office. Now, tech observers – and some users – are watching closely to see what happens over the weekend and beyond.

“We’re really in uncharted territory here in terms of technology policy,” said Sarak Kreps, director of Cornell University’s Tech Policy Institute.

Under the law, mobile app stores – such as those run by Apple and Google – and internet hosting services will face heavy fines if they continue to distribute the platform to US users beyond the divestment deadline from ByteDance, TikTok’s China-based parent company. The companies can pay up to $5,000 for each user who continues to access TikTok, meaning fines can add up to a large amount.

Late Friday night, TikTok issued a statement on X saying that “the White House and the Department of Justice have failed to provide the necessary clarity and security to the service providers integral to maintaining TikTok’s availability to over 170 million Americans. ”

“Unless the Biden administration immediately issues a definitive statement to satisfy the most critical non-enforcement service providers, TikTok will unfortunately be forced to go dark on January 19,” it said.

Experts have noted that TikTok’s app should remain available to current users, but existing users will no longer be able to update it, rendering it useless in the long term.

Trump’s national security adviser signaled this week that the incoming administration may take steps to “keep TikTok from going dark,” though it’s still unclear what that looks like — and whether any of those steps could hold up legal scrutiny .

“My decision on TikTok will be made in the not-too-distant future, but I need time to review the situation,” Trump said Friday in a post on Truth Social following the court’s ruling. Earlier in the day, he said in another post that TikTok was among the topics in his conversation with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

Meanwhile, some of the attention has turned to technology companies such as Apple, Google and Oracle, which currently offer TikTok on their app stores or host corporate data on their servers.

Tech CEOs have tried to create more friendly ties with TrumpWHO wants to put the TikTok ban on holdsince he was elected in November. But Kreps said it would “defy credulity” for them to continue offering TikTok even if they want to please Trump, as it would open them up to fines.

Tech companies are also used to removing apps at the behest of governments. By 2023, Apple says it removed nearly 1,500 apps globally. Nearly 1,300 of the apps were removed in China.

“Penalties for companies like Apple and Google could reach $850 billion,” Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., wrote on X Thursday, referring to the U.S. TikTok law. “I’m not sure I’d take a politician’s word for it if I were running these companies.”

Meanwhile, David Choffnes, executive director of the Cybersecurity and Privacy Institute at Northeastern University in Boston, said he believes there is a “small chance” that nothing will happen to TikTok, but acknowledged that it would require “huge risk on the part of companies”. that supports them.”

Apple, Google and Oracle did not respond to questions sent this week about their plans for TikTok.

In a video following the court’s decision, TikTok CEO Shou Chew, who is expected to attend Trump’s inauguration and get a prime seat at the podium, thanked the president-elect for “his commitment to work” with TikTok to “find a solution” that keeps the platform available.

“We are grateful and excited to have the support of a president who truly understands our platform—one who has used TikTok to express his own thoughts and perspectives, connect with the world, and generate more than 60 billion views of his content in process,” Chew said.

Earlier this week, TikTok told its US employees that its offices would remain open for work, although the “situation” will not be resolved by Sunday. In the memo, which was first reported by The New York Times and confirmed by the company, TikTok told the workers that their “employment, wages and benefits” were secure, adding that the law was written in a way that affects the American user experience, not the entities that employ them.

Meanwhile, in a letter sent Friday to Biden and Attorney General Merrick Garland, a lawyer for TikTok creators who sued the government asked the administration to halt enforcement of the law “until further definitive guidance.”

“In addition, we request that you clarify that no app store, internet hosting service or other provider faces any risk of enforcement or sanctions with respect to TikTok, CapCut or other ByteDance apps until such further guidance is issued.” said the letter from attorney Jeffrey Fisher.