News Summary

TikTok has announced that it will ‘go dark’ in the United States on January 19 unless the Biden administration provides a definitive statement ensuring the non-enforcement of a federal ban. This development comes as the Supreme Court upheld a law that could effectively ban TikTok if its owner, ByteDance, doesn’t sell its US operations by the specified date. Despite the imminent change in administration, the Biden team has not altered its stance that TikTok should remain available to Americans under new ownership that addresses national security concerns. TikTok’s demand for clarity aims to assure service providers like Apple and Google that they won’t face legal repercussions for maintaining the app. The White House has dismissed TikTok’s ultimatum as a ‘stunt,’ asserting that no immediate action is required before Donald Trump assumes the presidency. The situation remains tense as TikTok seeks to avoid a shutdown affecting over 170 million American users.