TikTok has warned that it will be forced to shut down the short-video platform in the US on January 19 unless the current US administration issues a “firm statement” that the social network’s “most essential service providers” will not face liability for violating the law. These include those running the Apple and Google app stores, as well as those providing hosting services for Amazon and Oracle.
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TikTok made the announcement after the US Supreme Court yesterday upheld a law ordering the Chinese company ByteDance to give up its stake in the service under threat of a ban in the US. Earlier, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew published a video addressing US President-elect Donald Trump, but did not specify what actions the social network intends to take.
The White House has made it clear that the fate of TikTok will be decided by the country’s new president, who made a campaign promise to save the platform and will be sworn in on January 20. Trump said he spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping about “the trade balance, fentanyl, TikTok and many other topics.” “President [Joe] Biden’s position on TikTok has remained clear in recent months, including since Congress put a bipartisan bill on the President’s desk: TikTok should remain available to Americans, but simply owned by the United States or another owner who will address the national security concerns identified by Congress when the Act was drafted. Given the actual timing, the current administration recognizes that implementation of the law should be entrusted to the next administration, which takes office on Monday,” the White House said yesterday.
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Ensuring the implementation of the TikTok ban is entrusted to the US Department of Justice: the fine for service providers who retain access to the application will be $5,000 per user. “Authoritarian regimes should not have unfettered access to the sensitive data of millions of Americans. The Court’s decision confirms that this law protects the national security of the United States in a manner consistent with the Constitution,” said Attorney General Merrick Garland. As the deadline approached, politicians who voted in favor of the law began to change their minds and argue that ByteDance should have been given more time to sell TikTok.
«Statements released today by the Biden White House and the Department of Justice did not provide service providers with the clarity and assurances needed to ensure TikTok is available to more than 170 million Americans. “If the Biden Administration does not immediately issue a firm statement that satisfies critical service providers by assuring them that no action will be taken, TikTok will unfortunately be forced to cease operations on January 19th,” the TikTok administration said in a statement.