News Summary

TikTok is facing a shutdown in the United States, set for January 19, unless the Biden administration intervenes following a Supreme Court ruling that upheld a federal ban on the app. The decision comes after concerns over national security due to the app’s ties to its Chinese parent company, ByteDance. The Supreme Court unanimously supported the ban, emphasizing the potential risks posed by TikTok’s data collection practices and its connection to the Chinese government. TikTok has been advised to divest its U.S. operations to an American owner, but the company argues that such a move is not feasible. Despite receiving backing from former President Trump, who has expressed willingness to broker a deal to keep TikTok operational in the U.S., the Biden administration has yet to provide definitive assurances necessary to prevent the app from ‘going dark’. TikTok has a significant user base in the U.S., with over 170 million users who may lose access to the app if the ban is enforced.