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Popular social media app TikTok has stated it would be "forced to go dark" this Sunday, January 19, unless the Biden Administration "provides a definitive statement." On Friday, January 17, 2025, the company took to X to share a statement ahead of its upcoming ban.
For the unversed, President Biden signed the 'Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act' into law last year, requiring ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, to divest, or the application would be banned in the U.S.
As the statement by the social media platform went viral, internet users were quick to react. Many expressed their exasperation at the repeated back and forth in regards to the ban, with one user under @PopBase's post on X writing:
"Can they just shut it down already if they want to? Sick of the back and forth."
Meanwhile, many users seemed to support the ban. Here are some comments seen on X:
"TikTok is not being “forced” to go dark. It could clear all this up tomorrow by entering into serious negotiations for divestiture and profit handsomely. But the CCP won’t let it do that," one wrote.
"Why can’t p**nhub & o**yfans be banned?" another questioned.
"the way i know my life would improve tremendously if this app fr shutdown," a person stated.
Others noted that the blame for the ban was wrongly placed on Biden as Trump had advocated for it first. Some pointed out the loss of income for many Americans, while a few expressed the need to focus on more pressing issues.
"I actually be baffled every day that there are children being murdered in schools on the regular but this damn app got all this commotion this sh*t makes me so sick omfg," a user noted.
"Again.. Ten’s of millions of people. Millions of jobs gone Sunday. Including my own side job. What an absolute shame," another added.
"Not we blaming Biden when Trump threw rocks and RAN!" one commented.
SCOTUS upholds the law that would ban TikTok starting January 19
Referencing its possible shutdown, TikTok explained in its statement on X:
"The Biden White House and the Department of Justice have failed to provide the necessary clarity and assurance to the service providers that are integral to maintaining TikTok's availability... Unless the Biden Administration immediately provides a definitive statement... assuring non-enforcement, unfortunately TikTok will be forced to go dark on January 19."
The U.S. government has been pushing for a ban on the platform since 2020, citing national security issues. The recent attempt culminated in President Biden signing the 'Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act' into law (with bipartisan support), in April 2024.
The law prohibits third-party services like Google or Apple from hosting apps controlled by foreign adversaries like China. Essentially, if ByteDance, TikTok's China-based parent company, didn't divest from the platform, the app would be banned starting January 19, 2025.
Meanwhile, in an effort to pause the incoming law, the company filed an appeal to the Supreme Court (SCOTUS), arguing that the law violates Americans' First Amendment rights regarding free speech. A hearing began last week, and SCOTUS upheld the ban this Friday morning, January 17, as per USA Today the same day.
It is to be noted that said law also allows the president to grant a one-time 90-day extension if a sale of the platform is underway. Further, as per USA Today, President-elect Donald Trump, who previously championed its ban, asked the Supreme Court to pause the TikTok ban last month.
In an amicus curiae filing, Trump's lawyer reasoned that this would allow the incoming administration to reach a "political resolution." Furthermore, Trump took to Truth Social on Friday to reveal that he spoke with "Chairman Xi Jinping of China" and they discussed ways to solve problems, one of which included TikTok.
In light of SCOTUS's decision and Trump's post, netizens question if he would intervene after taking office on Monday, January 20.
