TikTok Ban Deadline Is Days Away, Right here Are 5 Issues That Might Occur

With simply days to go earlier than TikTok may very well be banned from being distributed in the USA, many social media customers have been left with tons of questions on what may really occur on Sunday, Jan. 19 — and past.

Will the app instantly shut down? And if that occurs, how lengthy may it final — and can folks nonetheless be capable of use the app?

Whereas there are nonetheless loads of uncertainties as Sunday’s deadline looms, listed here are a number of potentialities.

The Supreme Court docket may nonetheless intervene

The bipartisan legislation that goals to ban TikTok — which handed in Congress and was signed by President Joe Biden in 2024 — would require the Chinese language firm that owns TikTok, ByteDance, to promote it.

Final week, Supreme Court docket justices heard arguments about whether or not to step in and briefly pause the measure or let the ban go ahead.

Supporters of the invoice concern that China’s authorities may use information from the app to govern or hurt Individuals, whereas TikTok argues that the ban is a violation of free speech for its tens of hundreds of thousands of American customers.

On Jan. 10, Solicitor Common Elizabeth Prelogar, who argued on behalf of the federal government, stated that TikTok may function as regular, however provided that ByteDance would promote.

“All of the act is doing is making an attempt to surgically take away the flexibility of a international adversary nation to get our information and to have the ability to train management over the platform,” she stated, whereas Justice Amy Coney Barrett echoed the the identical argument, saying, “The legislation would not say ‘shut down’ [TikTok]. It says ByteDance should divest. If it did that, we would not be right here.”

Nevertheless, Justice Neil Gorsuch sounded extra skeptical and famous that TikTok would settle for a disclaimer about China.

ABC Information, CNN and The New York Occasions beforehand reported {that a} majority of the justices appeared inclined to let the ban proceed, however a choice has but to materialize — and though the court docket has indicated that justices will announce a minimum of one determination on Friday, Jan. 17, they didn’t affirm if it could contain TikTok.

Nonetheless, given the looming deadline, the information led to hypothesis — and for some, hope — {that a} determination on the destiny of the app is on the way in which.

Might the Biden administration nonetheless cease the ban?

Amid swirling studies about what actions Biden may absorb his closing days in workplace, a White Home official stated that given the timing of when the ban is about to enter impact — simply at some point earlier than President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration — “it is going to be as much as the subsequent administration to implement.”

ABC Information and NBC Information reported that this alerts that the Biden administration successfully would not plan to implement the legislation over the last hours of his time period.

Will somebody purchase TikTok?

TikTok and ByteDance have been candid about not eager to promote their app, regardless of a lot of formal presents to buy the social media big.

In April 2024, quickly after Biden signed the invoice that may drive the corporate to promote or shut down, ByteDance denied rumors that it was contemplating a sale. “Overseas media studies that ByteDance is exploring the sale of TikTok are unfaithful,” the corporate stated on the time, per CNN. “ByteDance doesn’t have any plan to promote TikTok.”

Moreover, in a submitting to the Supreme Court docket, TikTok additional confirmed that it had no plans to promote when its attorneys wrote that the legislation “will take impact on January 19, 2025, shutting down TikTok for its greater than 170 million month-to-month American customers.”

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Though TikTok cannot be offered with out ByteDance’s permission, as all events concerned must conform to a sale, that hasn’t stopped a lot of high-profile figures from displaying curiosity in buying TikTok, together with billionaire and Shark Tank star Kevin O’Leary.

O’Leary and his enterprise associate within the proposed deal, former Dodgers proprietor Frank McCourt and his group Undertaking Liberty, stated that they have been “excited” about what they noticed as a chance to buy the app. In response to CNN, they didn’t disclose how a lot they formally provided to pay for the app.

“This isn’t nearly shopping for TikTok’s U.S. belongings. It’s about one thing a lot greater: defending the privateness of 170 million American customers. It’s about empowering creators and small companies. And it’s about constructing a platform that prioritizes PEOPLE over algorithms,” McCourt wrote on X.

Influencer and social media character Jimmy Donaldson, recognized largely as MrBeast, additionally stated he was contemplating making an attempt to buy the app in a put up to X on Monday: “Okay wonderful, I will purchase TikTok so it would not get banned.”

Donaldson shared one other put up on Tuesday, Jan. 14, writing: “Unironically, I’ve had so many billionaires attain out to me since I tweeted this. Let’s see if we are able to pull this off.”

Tesla and X proprietor Elon Musk‘s identify has additionally come up as a possible purchaser, in keeping with a number of retailers. Nevertheless, a TikTok consultant denied the rumors, telling PEOPLE in a press release: “We can’t be anticipated to touch upon pure fiction.”

Will TikTok cease working?

Attorneys for TikTok have stated in court docket that the app will “go darkish” if the legislation goes into impact on Sunday, though it stays unclear precisely what meaning.

If carried out, the legislation would drive the app to be faraway from app shops (like by means of Apple or Google cell telephones) and make it inaccessible by means of web browsers in America — and violations may imply big monetary penalties.

Moreover, new customers wouldn’t be capable of entry or obtain TikTok, though individuals who nonetheless have TikTok as an app on their telephone may doubtlessly entry its content material after Sunday, however the app wouldn’t be up to date over time and can be anticipated to change into tougher to make use of.

Nevertheless, talking earlier than the Supreme Court docket final week, TikTok legal professional Noel Francisco stated that going darkish meant that “basically, the platform shuts down” — and Reuters has reported that if the ban goes into impact, any customers making an attempt to open the app on their telephone will see a message about how the app is not out there of their nation.

TikTok didn’t instantly reply to PEOPLE’s request for remark about their plans on Thursday, Jan. 16.

What is going to the Trump administration do?

Though Trump did attempt to ban TikTok throughout his first time period, saying on the time that he seen the app as a nationwide safety risk, he has seemingly modified his mindset.

On Wednesday, Jan. 15, the Washington Publish reported that he was contemplating issuing an govt order as soon as he takes workplace that may droop enforcement of the ban for someplace between 60 to 90 days. The months-long interval would give Trump time to assist dealer a sale of the corporate or supply one other resolution.

“I’ve a heat spot in my coronary heart for TikTok,” Trump stated final month, per the newspaper. The outlet additionally reported that the Singapore-based CEO of TikTok, Shou Zi Chew, visited Trump as his Mar-A-Lago membership in December 2024, and in keeping with the New York Occasions, the businessman is predicted to attend Trump inauguration.

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The newspaper additionally reported that Trump may inform his decide for legal professional common, Pam Bondi, to not implement the ban — successfully ignoring it (that means that they would not obtain monetary or different penalties) and permitting app shops and web browsers or service suppliers to disregard the ban, too.

Bondi just lately declined to say whether or not she would commit to implementing the legislation throughout her affirmation listening to on Wednesday, Jan. 15.