TikTok is preparing to shut down its local operations on Sunday across the United States (US), according to reports by international media.
The ban, set to take place under a federal order, will block access to the short-video platform for about 170 million users. TikTok is being banned under a law known as “Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act”.
Some differing reports have also emerged in the US media. NBC News reported on Thursday that President Joe Biden’s administration, which approved the anti-TikTok law, is mulling over ways to keep the app accessible in the US.
The Washington Post, on the other hand, has reported that President-elect Donald Trump is considering suspending the blocking of TikTok for “60 to 90” days through an executive order. The publication has cited informed sources in the report.
The law forces TikTok to sell its local operations in the US or face a permanent ban. TikTok, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, has long been accused of having ties with the Chinese government. Although the app has repeatedly denied reports of potential data transfers, US regulators keep expressing concerns that it could spy on American users for “traditional espionage purposes”.
More on the looming ban here.
