TikTok Faces Potential Shutdown This Sunday Without New Legislation to Delay Impending Ban

TikTok is currently navigating a complex landscape in the United States, facing increasing regulatory scrutiny that may lead to its operations being entirely halted in the country. Recent reports suggest an impending federal ban that could affect the availability of the app as early as Sunday. While a Bloomberg article speculated that Chinese authorities were contemplating selling TikTok to Elon Musk, officials promptly dismissed those claims as unfounded.

Federal Ban on TikTok: Possible Shutdown for U.S. Users

The challenges for TikTok in the U.S. are not new; they date back to 2020 when then-President Trump signaled a potential ban unless the app was sold to an American company. Although deadlines for sales were repeatedly extended, the matter resurfaced in 2023. The parent company, ByteDance, found itself in legal challenges, facing the likelihood of either a ban or forced divestiture of the app. President Biden has taken similar stances, with a bill signed into law scheduled to take effect on January 19th, 2024.

If the ban goes into effect, major app stores like Apple and Google will be required to halt new downloads of TikTok, but current users would theoretically still have access. However, a recent Reuters report indicates that TikTok may adopt a more drastic measure, potentially shutting down its service entirely for U.S. users.

TikTok plans to shut its app for U.S. users from Sunday, when a federal ban on the social media app could come into effect. Under TikTok’s plan, people attempting to open the app will see a pop-up message directing them to a website with information about the ban, the sources said, requesting anonymity as the matter is not public.

This strategic move to inform users about the impending shutdown could serve dual purposes: it may mitigate blame directed at ByteDance while redirecting frustration towards U.S. lawmakers. The company’s approach appears calculated to evoke outrage among users, potentially pressuring the government to reconsider its position. Concurrently, while speculation swirled around a potential sale of TikTok to Elon Musk, a spokesperson from TikTok categorically refuted these claims, labeling them as mere fiction, as reported by The Independent.

In a further development, a senator is considering legislation that would extend the ban’s deadline by an additional 270 days. This extension may offer TikTok a crucial window to negotiate a potential acquisition by a U.S.-based company. The fate of this legislation remains uncertain, but unless it is enacted, the prospect of TikTok shutting down in the United States looms as early as Sunday.

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