The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld legislation that will ban TikTok in the US unless its China-based parent company, ByteDance, sells ownership of the platform by January 19.
ByteDance had contested the law, claiming it infringed on the free speech of its users in the US. But the court rejected the company’s argument, clearing the path for the ban unless an approved buyer takes over the US version of the app.
U.S. officials and lawmakers have accused ByteDance of being linked to the Chinese government and have raised national security concerns over TikTok.
The ruling intensifies pressure on TikTok to address these concerns or face losing access to one of its largest markets.
TikTok, however, looks to have come to terms with its ban, having announced plans on Tuesday to completely shut down its operations in the US this Sunday if the ban is effective as scheduled.
The announcement came after reports indicated that the judgement at the Supreme Court might not be in favour of the company.
The platform, which boasts over 170 million American users, plans to implement an immediate blackout rather than allow continued access for existing users, according to sources cited by The Information.
Users attempting to access TikTok after the deadline will encounter a message explaining the federally mandated ban and offering instructions on downloading personal data, according to reports.
The reported shutdown, which would officially take effect on January 20, will coincide with the US presidential transition as President-elect Donald Trump, who opposes the ban, is set to assume office.
ByteDance has so far resisted calls to sell TikTok’s US operations, but analysts believe this position may shift due to a forced exit.
