According to sources, a well-known video-sharing website is getting ready to go completely dark in the US starting on Sunday.
According to media sites, TikTok intends to go completely dark in the US if the anticipated ban goes into effect on Sunday.
According to persons acquainted with the situation, The Information and the Reuters news agency reported on Wednesday that the well-known video-sharing website is planning to shut down its operations entirely rather than extending its service to current customers.
Although current users would be able to legally continue using TikTok under the planned ban, app stores and internet hosting firms would not be allowed to provide updates, which would eventually render the program inoperable.
According to the sources, users of TikTok would see a notification pointing them to a statement regarding the restriction and choices for removing their personal data, barring a last-minute reprieve.
When Al Jazeera reached out to TikTok for comment, the company did not immediately reply.
In April, the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act was signed by outgoing US President Joe Biden, giving ByteDance, the platform’s Chinese parent firm, 270 days to sell the platform or face suspension.
Bipartisan worries that the platform might be exploited to steal Americans’ personal information and control public opinion prompted Biden to approve the bill.
In order to gain time to negotiate a sale or other agreement, President-elect Donald Trump is thinking of signing an executive order to postpone the ban for 60 to 90 days, according to a Washington Post report published on Wednesday.
Despite trying to outlaw the app during his first term in office, Trump, who will be sworn in on Monday, promised to “save” the platform during his reelection campaign.
The US Supreme Court is currently debating whether the restriction is lawful, according to the reports.
Following a majority of justices last week expressing doubt about TikTok’s claim that the prohibition infringes on Americans’ right to free speech, the nine-member court now seems poised to maintain the rule.
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