TikTok says it will go dark on Sunday, January 19th if the Biden administration doesn’t intervene.
The company says it will be “forced to go dark” on the 19th unless the outgoing administration provides a “definitive statement” assuring the app’s “most critical service providers” that they won’t be held liable for breaking the law. Those providers include Apple, Google, Amazon, and Oracle.
TikTok’s statement follows Friday’s Supreme Court ruling that upheld the law banning the app. Shortly after the Supreme Court ruling, TikTok CEO Shou Chew appealed to President-elect Donald Trump in a video but didn’t give any indication of what might happen to the app when the law goes into effect. Chew is also expected to attend Trump’s inauguration.
You can read TikTok’s full statement below:
The statements issued today by both the Biden White House and the Department of Justice have failed to provide the necessary clarity and assurance to the service providers that are integral to maintaining TikTok’s availability to over 170 million Americans.
Unless the Biden Administration immediately provides a definitive statement to satisfy the most critical service providers assuring non-enforcement, unfortunately TikTok will be forced to go dark on January 19.
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