(TheIndependentStar.com) – In a dramatic move that left millions of American users outraged, Chinese-owned social media giant TikTok is set to shut down in the United States.
The app will stop working on Sunday, January 19, as a new law effectively bans it.
This comes as U.S. authorities crack down on national security threats and data privacy concerns, finally addressing the long-standing issue of Chinese influence over American technology.
The potential ban, which has been in the works since the first Trump administration, is now becoming a reality under Joe Biden’s watch.
Congress supported and Biden signed the law, which seeks to prevent foreign adversaries’ controlled applications from being distributed in the U.S. unless ownership changes.
TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, is partially owned by global institutional investors and faces concerns about its Chinese ownership.
The app’s 170 million American users will soon receive a pop-up message with information about the ban and an option to download their data.
This move ensures that users can preserve their content while the government takes necessary steps to safeguard national security.
The Supreme Court heard arguments on TikTok’s emergency appeal, with the government arguing that the app poses a significant national security threat.
Although TikTok’s lawyers asserted the ban violates First Amendment rights, the court’s decision is unlikely to come before the ban takes effect.
TikTok’s lawyer Noel Francisco said the app would “go dark” on January 19. “Essentially, the platform shuts down,” he said.
In the meantime, Democrat lawmakers have proposed extending the ban deadline.
For instance, Senator Ed Markey expressed concerns about the ban’s impact on Americans.
However, he failed to address concerns about the greater threat posed by allowing a foreign-controlled app to continue operating unchecked in the United States.
President-elect Donald Trump has expressed a desire to “save” TikTok, citing its role in engaging young voters.
Will Trowbridge, the CEO of creative agency Saylor, said the ban would impact clients like Disney.
Even if the ban is delayed or overturned, he issued a warning about his clients: “They’re just stopping because they don’t want to risk it, and they don’t want to be part of that kind of decline of the app.”
“Everyone has an action plan. They don’t want to talk about it because they don’t want to face the reality of what it would mean,” Trowbridge added.
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