TikTok said it will be forced to “go dark” in the US on Sunday unless the government steps in before the ban takes effect.
The statement said that “both the Biden White House and the Department of Justice have failed to provide the necessary clarity and assurance to service providers integral to maintaining the availability of TikTok.”
It said that unless the government stepped in immediately to assure the video app that it would not be penalized for violating the threatened ban, it “will be forced to cease operations on January 19.”
TikTok’s statement followed a Supreme Court ruling earlier Friday that upheld a law banning the app in the US unless its China-based parent company, ByteDance, sells the platform by Sunday.
TikTok has challenged the law, arguing that it violates free speech protections for its 170 million users in the country.
But the Supreme Court’s decision means the US version of the app will be removed from app stores and web hosting services unless a buyer is found in the coming days.
It was thought that the ban would not affect TikTok users who already have the app downloaded on their phones.
But a new statement from TikTok late Friday suggests it may become immediately unavailable to all existing users, as well as those looking to download it.
President Joe Biden’s term is set to end on Monday, and Donald Trump is set to be sworn in as the next president on that day. The White House has previously said that it will therefore be up to the new president to enforce the law.
Trump has made it clear he is against the ban, after initially supporting the move. “My decision on TikTok will be made in the not-too-distant future, but I need to have time to review the situation,” he said on Friday.
ByteDance has vowed not to sell TikTok and said it plans to shut down the app’s operations in the US on Sunday unless there is a delay.
Democratic and Republican lawmakers voted last year to ban the video-sharing app over concerns about its ties to the Chinese government. TikTok has repeatedly stated that it does not share information with Beijing.