WASHINGTON: TikTok says it will “go dark” in the United States today unless the government provides assurances a new law calling for its ban won’t be used to punish service providers.
“Unless the Biden Administration immediately provides a definitive statement to satisfy the most critical service providers assuring non-enforcement, unfortunately TikTok will be forced to go dark on January 19,” TikTok said in a statement.
The US Supreme Court on Friday upheld a law supported by President Joe Biden and Congress that requires the app’s owner ByteDance to either sell TikTok or cease US operations by today.
“The statements issued by both the Biden White House and the Department of Justice have failed to provide the necessary clarity and assurance to the service providers that are integral to maintaining TikTok’s availability to over 170 million Americans,” TikTok said following the Supreme Court decision.
The unanimous ruling, which found the law does not violate free speech rights, dealt a major blow to TikTok and created uncertainty about what will happen when the ban takes effect.
The court agreed with the government’s national security concerns about Chinese company ByteDance’s ownership of the app.
ByteDance has firmly rejected selling its US operation, a stance also taken by Beijing, which has denounced the law as theft.
The justices acknowledged that, “for more than 170 million Americans,” the social media giant “offers a distinct and expansive outlet for expression, means of engagement, and source of community.”
But, the court concluded, “Congress has determined that divestiture is necessary to address its well-supported national security concerns regarding TikTok’s data collection practices and relationship with a foreign adversary.”
Biden said it is leaving the matter to incoming president Donald Trump.
Trump, who opposes the ban, discussed TikTok with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday.
“The Supreme Court decision was expected, and everyone must respect it,” Trump said he would need time to find an alternative to the ban.
TikTok’s lawyer Noel Francisco had warned it would shut down Sunday in case of a legal defeat.– AFP
