Athira Sethu
Kochi, 16 January 2025
TikTok is bracing for a possible shutdown for its 170 million U.S. users as soon as Sunday, when a U.S. ban on the app may go into effect. This decision follows a law signed by President Joe Biden in April that requires TikTok to sell its Chinese ownership and move to a U.S. company or else face a shutdown. If the Supreme Court declares the law unconstitutional, TikTok may remain the same. Yet, the company has not officially decided what would happen if the law stands.
The company has been in discussion regarding its next move, with discussions still on. According to a report, if the Supreme Court upholds the law, TikTok will go “dark,” meaning that users will not be able to access it anymore. This implies that although existing app users may continue to use the app, the app will stop receiving any kind of update and bug fix; it would just eventually die after some time. Moreover, people in the United States cannot download this app on new devices.
TikTok attorney Noel Francisco indicated to the Supreme Court that in case the court rules against it, the company will “go dark” as of January 19. Indeed, that has already occurred: when TikTok was banned from India in June 2020, the platform went dark as users were denied access, forcing brands to redirect their ad placements. In the country, Instagram and YouTube became the chief alternatives for short video content.
Most people depend on TikTok for their livelihood, and firms use it to market their products. The application going dark will affect creators and brands. Companies have already shown concern that the app might not be safe in case it cannot receive updates. However, despite these fears, many people in the U.S. are resorting to other applications like RedNote, which has gained popularity lately. However, some worry that they may not be able to replicate the success they had on TikTok.
