WASHINGTON:Social media giant TikTok is reportedly planning to completely shut down its operations in the United States this Sunday if a legislatively ordered ban is implemented as scheduled.
The platform, which boasts over 170 million users in the US, is expected to initiate an immediate blackout rather than allowing existing users continued access, sources told The Information.
The shutdown is linked to a January 19 deadline set by lawmakers, requiring TikTok to sever its ties with its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, or cease its operations in the United States altogether.
Although the legislation primarily mandates app stores to remove TikTok and cloud providers to halt the hosting of US user data, the company appears to have decided on a complete suspension of services, according to the report.
After the deadline, users attempting to access the app will reportedly encounter a message explaining the federal ban. The message will also provide users with options to download their personal data before the platform’s shutdown.
