TikTok announced plans to shut down its services in the United States on Sunday, unless an extension is granted. This decision follows the Supreme Court’s unanimous ruling to uphold the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, signed by President Joe Biden in April. The law mandates ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, to cease supporting the app in the US unless it completes a “qualified divestiture” by the deadline. In response, Apple and Google removed TikTok from their app stores on Saturday, preventing new downloads of the app within the country.
The controversial law aims to address national security concerns over foreign-controlled applications. This development means that TikTok's considerable user base in the US, which includes over 7 million American businesses, is now unable to download the app on their devices. TikTok CEO Shou Chew argued that using TikTok represents a First Amendment right, emphasizing the platform's role in fostering creativity and discovery.
"Rest assured, we will do everything in our power to ensure our platform thrives as your online home for limitless creativity and discovery as well as a source of inspiration and joy for years to come," said Chew.
The legal battle surrounding TikTok has seen involvement from high-profile figures, including former President Donald Trump. Trump had previously requested the Supreme Court to delay the implementation of the law, seeking "the opportunity to pursue a political resolution of the questions at issue in the case." Following TikTok's announcement to go dark, Trump expressed gratitude and indicated his willingness to work with the company to find a solution to reinstate its services.
"My decision on TikTok will be made in the not too distant future, but I must have time to review the situation. Stay tuned!" Trump stated.
Despite these developments, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre dismissed TikTok's statement as a "stunt," maintaining that actions related to the law would be addressed by the next administration.
"We have laid out our position clearly and straightforwardly: actions to implement this law will fall to the next administration," Jean-Pierre noted.
In light of TikTok's potential shutdown, an artificial intelligence startup, Perplexity AI, has submitted a bid for the company. This proposal involves merging with TikTok's US operations and introducing new capital partners, which could provide an alternative solution to maintain TikTok's presence in the US market.
As tensions rise, technology giants like Apple, Google, and Oracle could face significant penalties if found in violation of the law. Their compliance with removing TikTok from app stores underscores the severity of these potential consequences.