Unless the U.S. Supreme Court intervenes, TikTok plans to shut down for U.S. users on Sunday, Jan. 19, according to company insiders who spoke with The Information. The long-anticipated TikTok ban in the U.S. is just days away and new details are emerging about what that will look like for users. While the law banning TikTok would prevent new downloads of the app, existing users would still be able to access it for some time.
However, TikTok says under its plan, access will be disabled. Users who try to open the app will see a pop-up message directing them to a website with information about the ban. The company will also offer users the option to download their data.
If the ban goes into effect and is later lifted, TikTok sources say they will be able to bring the app back online quickly.
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TikTok has also reassured its U.S. employees that their jobs will remain safe, even if the app is shut down.
In an internal memo obtained by The Verge, the company confirmed that “employment, pay, and benefits are secure, and our offices will remain open, even if this situation hasn’t been resolved before the January 19 deadline.”
This comes after a law signed by President Joe Biden last year, which gives TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, until Jan. 19 to sell its U.S. assets or face a nationwide ban due to national security concerns.
During oral arguments on the TikTok case last week, some analysts suggested that the Supreme Court is likely to uphold the ban, despite President-elect Donald Trump’s calls for a delay.
TikTok currently has 170 million users in the U.S. The app is already partially or completely banned in more than a dozen countries, including the European Union.
