TikTok Prepares to Shut Down App in the U.S. If Ban Goes Into Effect

According to reports, TikTok is planning to shut down its popular short-video app in the United States if a federal ban is implemented on Sunday.

ByteDance, TikTok's Beijing-based parent company, must sell its U.S. assets by Sunday or face a nationwide ban on the app. However, TikTok is preparing to take action beyond what is legally required.

Sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that if the federal ban takes effect as scheduled, TikTok is poised to shut down the social media app in the U.S. The Information first reported this news.

Under TikTok's reported plan, users attempting to open the app will see a pop-up message directing them to a website with information about the ban. The company also plans to allow users to download all their data, allowing them to retain a record of their personal information.

This plan differs from what would be mandated by law. A TikTok ban would typically prevent new downloads on app stores like Apple and Google while existing users could still access and use the app. However, as updates became unavailable, the app would likely degrade and stop working over time.

The impending ban has sparked opposition from some lawmakers, including Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., who plans to introduce legislation to delay the deadline by an additional 270 days. Markey and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif. have also submitted a bipartisan brief asking the Supreme Court to reverse a lower court's decision to uphold the TikTok ban.

Despite the looming ban and TikTok's plans to shutter the app, the company's 7,000 U.S. employees' jobs appear secure. According to an internal memo reviewed by Reuters, TikTok plans to continue paying its U.S. workers even if the Supreme Court does not overturn the law that would force the sale of the app in the U.S.