TikTok has said it will be forced to “go dark” in the US on Sunday unless the government steps in before a ban takes effect.
In a statement, it said “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”.
It said unless the government immediately stepped in to assure the video app it would not be punished for violating the looming ban, it would be “forced to go dark on January 19”.
TikTok’s statement follows a Supreme Court ruling earlier on Friday which upheld a law banning the app in the US unless its China-based parent company, ByteDance, sells the platform by Sunday.
TikTok challenged the law, arguing it violates free speech protections for its 170 million users in the country.
But the Supreme Court’s ruling means the US version of the app will be removed from app stores and web hosting services, unless a buyer is found in the coming days.
It had been thought the ban would not impact TikTok users who already have the app downloaded on their phones.
But TikTok’s fresh statement late on Friday suggests it may immediately become unavailable to all existing users as well as those seeking to download it.
President Joe Biden’s term is due to end on Monday, with Donald Trump due to be sworn in as the next president on that day. The White House earlier said it would therefore fall on the incoming president to enforce the law.
Trump has indicated he is against the ban, after initially supporting the move. “My decision on TikTok will be made in the not too distant future, but I must have time to review the situation,” he said on Friday.
ByteDance has vowed not to sell TikTok and said it planned to shut US operations of the app on Sunday unless there is a reprieve.
Democratic and Republican lawmakers voted to ban the video-sharing app last year, over concerns about its links to the Chinese government. TikTok has repeatedly stated it does not share information with Beijing.
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