"TikTok to Suspend Services for Existing Users in the US Starting from the 19th"
by Byun Seonjin
Published 16 Jan.2025 05:36(KST)
From the 19th (local time), when the 'TikTok Ban Act' takes effect in the United States, it has been reported that the Chinese short-form platform TikTok plans to completely suspend its services within the U.S.
On the 15th, IT specialized media The Information cited sources saying that if the U.S. Supreme Court does not accept TikTok's injunction request, its services in the U.S. will be completely terminated. TikTok's Chinese parent company, ByteDance, has filed an injunction request with the U.S. Supreme Court to suspend the enforcement of the TikTok Ban Act starting from the 19th unless TikTok's U.S. business rights are sold to an American company.
The complete service ban goes beyond the TikTok Ban Act. The TikTok Ban Act stops new app downloads but does not prohibit users who already have TikTok installed from continuing to use the app. Of course, existing users can still use the app, but since they cannot update it, performance is expected to degrade over time, increasing the likelihood of the app ceasing to function. The number of TikTok users in the U.S. reaches 170 million.
The likelihood of the Supreme Court accepting TikTok's injunction request is considered low. Major foreign media such as The New York Times (NYT) reported based on the oral arguments held on the 10th that the Supreme Court is expected to allow the law's enforcement.
Chinese authorities are reportedly considering an alternative plan to sell TikTok's U.S. business to Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla. Musk, who is regarded as a key figure in former President Trump's election victory, is expected to lead the newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), created for U.S. government restructuring.
The TikTok Ban Act passed Congress last April amid bipartisan consensus that China could collect sensitive information of Americans or exert undue influence on public opinion through TikTok.
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