TikTok is preparing to shut off its app for U.S. users on Sunday, as a federal ban could go into effect, according to a report from The Information on Tuesday. The move would come unless the U.S. Supreme Court intervenes to block the ban.
If implemented, the shutdown would be more extensive than what the law requires. While the law would only prohibit new downloads of TikTok on Apple and Google app stores, existing users would still be able to use the app for some time. However, TikTok’s plan includes a full service disruption, with users attempting to access the app seeing a pop-up message directing them to a website with details about the ban.
Additionally, the platform intends to offer users the option to download their data, allowing them to retain a record of their personal information.
In April 2023, President Joe Biden signed a law requiring ByteDance to sell its U.S. assets by Jan. 19, 2025, or face a nationwide ban. The companies have sought at least a delay in the law’s implementation, arguing that it violates the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment protections of free speech.
TikTok, in a court filing last month, warned that if the ban lasts for a month, roughly one-third of the app’s 170 million U.S. users could stop using the platform.