TikTok is set to shut down its app for American users on Sunday, January 19, coinciding with the enactment of a law banning the app in the United States. The app, which boasts 170 million monthly U.S. users, is taking a step further than the law requires, directing users to a page explaining the ban and offering an option to download their data.
The law, signed by President Biden last April, prohibits new TikTok downloads from Appleās App Store and Google Play and bans updates to the app. While existing users could technically retain the app without updates, TikTokās decision to shut down operations in the U.S. entirely marks a significant escalation.
The legislation also mandates ByteDance, TikTokās Beijing-based parent company, to divest its U.S. operations to continue operating. U.S. lawmakers have expressed concerns that TikTok could serve as spyware for the Chinese government, citing Chinese laws requiring companies to share user data if requested.
Rising Concerns and Alternatives
As the ban looms, two other Chinese apps, Xiaohongshu and ByteDanceās Lemon8, have surged to the top of Appleās App Store rankings. The TikTok ban is part of broader scrutiny of Chinese technology, with tensions around data privacy and national security driving legislative action.
A TikTok ban has been debated in the U.S. for years. Former President Donald Trump first proposed banning the app during his term, but Congress only passed the legislation last year. While President Biden supported the ban, President-elect Trump has since changed his stance, expressing interest in “saving” TikTok due to its popularity among younger voters.
Legal and Political Uncertainty
TikTok is appealing to the Supreme Court to overturn the ban, but a decision before Sunday appears unlikely. The appās immediate shutdown will leave millions of users scrambling to preserve their data while ByteDance weighs its next steps amid ongoing political and legal challenges.