When is TikTok getting banned? Platform shares final deadline for US

TikTok will "go dark" in the US unless the government intervenes to prevent the ban.

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TikTok has announced that it will be forced to “go dark” in the US on January 19, 2025, unless the government intervenes before a ban takes effect.

This follows a Supreme Court ruling upholding a law requiring TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to sell its US operations by Sunday to avoid an outright ban.

The law, passed in April 2024, mandates ByteDance to divest the US version of the app to a neutral party or face removal from app stores and web hosting services.

TikTok has argued that the law violates free speech protections, as it impacts over 170 million users in the US.

The company has warned that the app could become completely unavailable to users, both existing and new, as updates are blocked after the ban.

Influencers and creators have begun bidding farewell to their followers, with many planning to shift content to other platforms.

The looming ban comes amid concerns over Chinese espionage, with US lawmakers citing security risks from TikTok’s data collection practices.

However, TikTok has repeatedly denied sharing user data with the Chinese government. The Biden administration's decision on the issue will be handed over to the incoming President, Donald Trump, who has previously expressed mixed views on the app.