CNN
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As the clock ticks down on TikTok, it’s decision time.
The super-popular video app with 170 million US users and a China-based owner has less than 4 days before it will be banned in the United States unless it sells itself to an American buyer. The ban will go into effect on Sunday, pending a Supreme Court decision expected soon (but it seems certain that America’s highest court will uphold the law banning TikTok).
TikTok owner ByteDance has a choice to make by Sunday, and its options are limited: sell TikTok, shut it down, or try to keep the lights on long enough for President-elect Donald Trump to come to the rescue. And, complicating matters further, these options are not mutually exclusive.
ByteDance has long been adamant: it says it has no intention of selling itself. TikTok’s magical algorithm that keeps you hooked on the app is its secret power, and putting a price on such a valuable commodity that every other social media app envies is difficult. Downloading a US-only version of TikTok could also mean the rest of the world has to download a new app to access US users’ content. However, Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal reported earlier this week that China is weighing a sale — to Elon Musk.
TikTok has fought the ban for years. But now, The Information says the app is preparing to shut down entirely on Sunday, giving its users the chance to collect their data — but TikTok will effectively go dark on Sunday. ByteDance did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday on the report from The Information.
Even if TikTok shuts itself down on Sunday, that doesn’t mean it will go dark forever. It could eventually sell itself to an American buyer down the road, which would presumably bring TikTok back to American users. According to The Information, the app plans to give creators a means to download their old content if a shutdown occurs.
Another option: TikTok could do nothing. The law that goes into effect on Sunday, pending a Supreme Court ruling, doesn’t actually force TikTok to do anything. It’s up to US-based companies that support TikTok to take action.
So on Sunday, a very real possibility is that people will notice no changes at all. Apple and Google will probably delist the app from their app stores, but people who have already downloaded the app can continue to use it if TikTok doesn’t do anything.
This probably isn’t a viable long-term option: No one would be able to access the app if they get a new phone or never downloaded the app in the first place, for example. And it would make it illegal for companies like Oracle that host TikTok content in the United States to continue serving it to the app’s users. This could force TikTok to serve content from outside the US, degrading customer service.
Many TikTok users are clearly confused. Several videos posted this week were celebrating, erroneously, claims that the ban had been extended another 270 days, an apparent reference to legislation proposed by a small group of senators to extend the deadline, which appears to be nowhere near passage. voter or signature. in law.
It’s all very blurry and complicated – which is why a clean break might be the best TikTok option on Sunday. Turning off the lights could shock TikTok’s loyal fan base, perhaps with the deliberate intention of drawing Trump’s attention.
Trump, who supported a ban on TikTok as president, recently did a 180 and said he no longer supports the ban. He even petitioned the Supreme Court to stay the law so his incoming administration could craft a deal to keep TikTok available to Americans.
The enforcement mechanism for the new law would be the US Department of Justice, which is changing hands at noon the day after the ban and which would have broad discretion to enforce the law (or not). So if Trump says his administration won’t enforce the ban, TikTok can bet that all the companies that host and support TikTok content will be willing to break the letter of the law with the understanding that they won’t be punished for to. .
This is a big gamble.
That’s why Sunday can be a very painful day for thousands of creators who have built careers on TikTok. And that’s why, meanwhile, other video streaming apps are gaining steam as creators look to maintain their online presence, business and following. Competing apps including RedNote, ByteDance’s Lemon8, Flip, Clapper and Fanbase are growing in popularity in the app store.
However, the future of TikTok remains a giant question mark. TikTok may shut down only to resurface later — with or without an American buyer. Sunday can be tough for TikTok fans. But Monday is a new day, with a new administration that could breathe new life into TikTok.
— CNN’s Clare Duffy contributed to this report.
