(Faced with a potential U.S. ban, TikTok plans to shut down its app nationwide on Sunday unless the U.S. Supreme Court intervenes.
The company informed its nearly 170 million American users that, in the event the shutdown takes place, they will encounter a pop-up message directing them to a website with details on the ban, including instructions on how to download any personal data.
The preemptive move exceeds what is legally required of the platform.
Signed in April by President Joe Biden, the law mandates that TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, sell by Jan. 19, 2025, or face a nationwide ban, citing national security and content manipulation concerns.
Federal lawmakers argued before the U.S. Supreme Court on Jan. 10 that the ban was necessary to safeguard sensitive data, while TikTok’s legal team argued that it violates First Amendment rights and failed to provide sufficient evidence related to those concerns.
U.S. tech publication The Information first reported the news.
Growing cries of national security concerns by the government surrounding the issue of the app’s Chinese ownership has seemed to only spur TikTok users further into other Chinese-owned platforms.
“This ban could be a step toward a broader ‘Tech Cold War’ where nations isolate themselves digitally and innovation becomes fragmented,” said Adam Nathan, CEO and co-founder of Blaze, an AI marketing tool.
“Imagine an internet where your choice of apps, tools, and even AI systems depends on where you live,” he added. “That’s a future no one wants, but it’s where we might be heading.”
Nathan said that the ban wasn’t only about the platform but trust.
“How do we rebuild trust between governments, tech companies, and users in an age of constant surveillance and cyber threats?” he said. “The answer can’t just be bans and restrictions; we need systems that allow trust to be earned and verified.”
Americans flocked to another Chinese-owned app, RedNote, sparking fresh concerns over data privacy and national security ahead of the ban.
Sen. Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., criticized the ban on the Senate floor and argued the ban was rushed through without fully considering its “broader consequences.”
Adrianus Warmenhoven, a cybersecurity expert at NordVPN, is warning those moving to other platforms like RedNote to know what they are getting into.
“A major red flag is the app’s lack of transparency—its terms and conditions are mainly in Mandarin, leaving non-Chinese-speaking users unclear about what data is collected and how it’s used,” Warmenhoven said. “This makes it difficult for users to make informed decisions about their privacy.”
Warmenhoven said that anyone downloading RedNote could face significant privacy and security risks, describing the move as a “quick fix” with potential dangers.
In a brief filed on Dec. 27, Trump’s legal team requested a postponement to allow his incoming administration to address the national security concerns through “political negotiations” rather than an outright ban.
