Unless President Joe Biden’s administration guarantees firms like Apple and Google that it won’t be subject to enforcement measures when a ban goes into place, TikTok has threatened to go silent in the US, reports RTE.
TikTok, a well-known app for short videos, is set to go offline in two days after the Supreme Court upheld a regulation that forbids the app from being sold in the US on national security grounds unless its Chinese parent firm ByteDance does.
The court’s 9-0 ruling puts the social media site, along with its 170 million American users, in a precarious position. Donald Trump, who has promised to save TikTok whenever he returns to the president, will decide its future, reports RTE.
“Unless the Biden Administration immediately provides a definitive statement to satisfy the most critical service providers ensuring non-enforcement, unfortunately TikTok will be forced to go dark on 19 January,” the company said, reports RTE.
The White House opted not to respond.
If companies like Apple, Google, Oracle, and others continue to supply TikTok with services after the prohibition goes into place, they risk facing severe fines.
Although the bill was signed by Mr. Biden and passed by a resounding bipartisan majority in Congress last year, a rising number of legislators who supported it are now working to keep TikTok operational in the US, reports RTE.
ByteDance, TikTok, and a few of the app’s users contested the law, but the Supreme Court ruled that it did not infringe upon the First Amendment’s protection against governmental interference with free expression, notwithstanding their arguments.
ByteDance hasn’t done anything to sell off TikTok by the legally mandated time, reports RTE.
The app may, however, shut down briefly. Mr. Trump, who attempted to outlaw TikTok in 2020, has stated that he will intervene to keep the program alive.
“I need to take time to consider the circumstances before making my TikTok choice, which will happen soon. Keep an eye out!” Mr. Trump stated in a message on social media, reports RTE.
Shou Zi Chew, the CEO of TikTok, intends to travel to Washington for Mr Trump’s second inauguration.
According to Mr. Trump, he spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping over the phone about TikTok, reports RTE.
Tell us your thoughts in the Facebook post and share this with your friends.
