Mumbai, January 19: Will TikTok be banned in the US today, January 19? TikTok, the popular video-sharing app owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, faces a potential shutdown in the United States today, January 19. The platform has warned that it will "go dark" if the government doesn't provide assurances to service providers regarding their liability under the new law. If the ban goes into effect, TikTok will cease operations within the US, effectively removing the app from app stores and rendering existing accounts inaccessible.

Hours before the TikTok ban comes into effect, US President-elect Donald Trump said that he "most likely" would give TikTok 90 more days to work out a deal that would allow the popular video-sharing platform to avoid the shutdown of its operations in the country. In an NBC News interview, Trump said on Saturday, January 18 that he hadn't made a decision yet but was considering giving TikTok a reprieve after his inauguration on Monday, January 20.

US President Joe Biden approved a law that required TikTok's parent company ByteDance to sell its stake in the app. Concerns regarding national security and data privacy have fueled this legislation. To prevent this, ByteDance took legal action by filing an appeal with the US Supreme Court. However, the US Supreme Court has upheld the law. TikTok Ban To Be Revoked by Donald Trump? After Supreme Court's Decision, CEO Shou Chew Releases Video, Thanks US President-Elect for His Commitment To Find Solution That Keeps TikTok Available.

TikTok Ban: ByteDance-Owned App Warns of US Shutdown Amid Lack of Clarity From Biden Administration

TikTok has announced that it might have to suspend operations on January 19, 2025, which will affect over 170 million American users. In a statement on January 18, TikTok expressed concerns over the lack of clarity from the Biden administration and the Department of Justice. The platform stated, "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 Shutdown in US Imminent? ‘Will Be Forced To Go Dark on January 19 if Biden Administration Doesn’t Intervene’, Says ByteDance-Owned App After Supreme Court Upheld Ban.

On January 17, after the US Supreme Court upheld the law banning TikTok if its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to divest its US operations, TikTok CEO Shou Chew released a video, emphasising their efforts to defend the constitutional right to free speech for over 170 million Americans who use the platform to connect and express themselves.

The outgoing Biden administration reiterated on January 18 that it considers the law's implementation and enforcement to be the responsibility of Trump, who takes office on Monday, January 20, and has pledged to “save” the trend-setting app. Meanwhile, Kevin O’Leary, the Canadian businessman also made a cash offer of USD 20 billion to acquire TikTok. He noted, "Right now, USD 20 billion is on the table, cash, cash, USD 20 billion."

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 19, 2025 08:00 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).