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TikTok said it will be forced to “go dark” in the US on Sunday unless the government intervenes before the ban takes effect.
It said in a statement that “both the Biden White House and the Department of Justice have failed to provide the necessary clarity and assurance to service providers that are integral to maintaining TikTok’s availability.”
Unless the government immediately steps in to ensure the video app is not penalized for violating the looming ban, it will be “forced to shut down on January 19.”
TikTok’s statement follows a Supreme Court ruling earlier on Friday that upheld a law banning the app in the US unless China-based parent company ByteDance sells the platform by Sunday.
TikTok challenged the law, arguing that it violated free speech protections for its 170 million users in the country.
But the Supreme Court ruling means the US version of the app will be removed from app stores and web hosting services unless a buyer is found in the coming days.
It was believed that the ban would not affect TikTok users who already have the app downloaded on their phones.
But a new statement from TikTok late Friday suggested it could immediately become unavailable to all existing users, as well as those looking to download it.
President Joe Biden’s term is set to end on Monday, with Donald Trump set to be sworn in as the next president that day. The White House has previously said that the next president will therefore be tasked with implementing the law.
Trump indicated his opposition to the ban after initially supporting the move. “My decision on TikTok will be made in the not-too-distant future, but I need to have time to review the situation,” he said on Friday.
ByteDance has vowed not to sell TikTok and said it plans to shut down the app in the US on Sunday unless there is a reprieve.
Democratic and Republican lawmakers voted to ban the video-sharing app last year over concerns about its ties to the Chinese government. TikTok has repeatedly said it does not share information with Beijing.
