TikTok has warned that its social media platform will be shut down tomorrow in the United States unless President Biden’s administration intervenes. This announcement follows a decision by the US Supreme Court not to block a law banning the popular video app.
The law, which prohibits the Chinese app, is set to take effect tomorrow after TikTok’s unsuccessful legal challenge. The Biden administration argues the app poses a national security threat, as it is owned by Chinese company ByteDance.
The US government fears Beijing could use TikTok to collect data on Americans and influence them through videos, though there is no concrete evidence of this. The White House has stated that TikTok should remain available to Americans if it changes ownership, which has not yet happened.
The law will prevent the App Store and Google Play from offering TikTok, and hosting providers in the US will also be unable to support the app. “Unless the Biden administration immediately declares it will not enforce the rules, TikTok will unfortunately go dark on January 19,” the company stated.
Source: NOS