TikTok Says App May Be 'Forced to Go Dark' In New Update

TikTok announced that it "will be forced to go dark" in the U.S. within days unless the Biden administration issues "a definitive statement" to guarantee that the ban upheld by the Supreme Court on Friday will not be enforced.

Why It Matters

A bipartisan bill banning TikTok passed through Congress and was signed into law by President Joe Biden last year. But it was reported Thursday that Biden would not enforce the ban and instead leave the decision to incoming President-elect Donald Trump, who has vowed to save the app.

The White House and Department of Justice both issued statements on Friday indicating that the Biden administration would not immediately implement the ban, with Trump set to take office on Monday.

But legally, the ban is set to go into effect on Sunday after the Supreme Court unanimously ruled against a last-minute challenge to the law, which requires TikTok parent company ByteDance to sell off the app by January 19.

What To Know

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement on Friday that Biden believes that "TikTok should remain available to Americans, but simply under American ownership or other ownership that addresses the national security concerns identified by Congress," while adding that "actions to implement the law simply must fall to" Trump due to the "timing" of the ban.

Deputy U.S. Attorney General Lisa Monaco also indicated that the Biden administration would not enforce the ban, saying in a statement that "the next phase of this effort—implementing and ensuring compliance with the law after it goes into effect on January 19—will be a process that plays out over time."

"The statements issued today by both the Biden White House and the Department of Justice have failed to provide the necessary clarity and assurance to the service providers that are integral to maintaining TikTok's availability to over 170 million Americans," TikTok said in a statement Friday night.

"Unless the Biden Administration immediately provides a definitive statement to satisfy the most critical service providers assuring non-enforcement, unfortunately TikTok will be forced to go dark on January 19," the statement continues.

Newsweek reached out for comment to the White House via email on Friday night.

What People Are Saying

TikTok content creator and comedian Alex Pearlman, in comments to The Philadelphia Inquirer: "Having both presidents over the last eight years at one point or another push for [the ban], our nation's political leadership has shown that they cannot trust the American people to freely communicate with one another in front of the rest of the world."

Progressive influencer Harry Sisson, in a video shared to TikTok following the company's statement: "I think the service providers like Oracle or Apple and Samsung and their play stores are not 100 percent confident that they won't be penalized by the law. So, I think TikTok understands what Biden wants, I think these other companies want more assurance. And I also think that Biden's been pretty clear. So, if like Apple and Samsung are seeking more assurance, I would just have them read his statement again."

Content creator Sarah Baus, in a TikTok video: "For a time, we might not have access to the app before we see what happens on Monday... This is the time to go follow your favorite creators on other platforms... Any creator that you are wanting to continue a relationship with, this would be the time to go and follow them. Not because we don't believe this will go our way, [but] because we understand, due to the service providers, we may not be able to talk to each other."

What Happens Next

It is unclear whether or not the Biden administration will offer additional assurances that the ban will not be enforced before it goes into effect on Sunday. If TikTok does shut down, Trump may instead offer assurances about non-enforcement and the app could return very quickly. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is expected to be in attendance for Trump's inauguration ceremony on Monday.