TikTok says it will “go dark” unless the US government intervenes

TikTok said Sunday it will be forced to “go dark” in the US unless the government intervenes before the federal ban takes effect.

In a statement, it said that “both the Biden White House and the Department of Justice have failed to provide the necessary clarity and certainty to service providers who are critical to maintaining the availability of TikTok.”

He added that if the US government does not issue a statement guaranteeing immediate enforcement, “TikTok will unfortunately be forced to go dark on January 19.”

TikTok’s statement followed a Supreme Court ruling earlier on Friday that upheld a law that would have banned the video app in the US unless China-based parent company ByteDance sells the platform by Sunday.

TikTok challenged the law, arguing that it would violate free speech protections for millions of users in the country.

The Supreme Court ruling means the US version of the app will be removed from app stores and web hosting services unless a buyer is found for the company by Sunday.

It was thought that the ban would not affect TikTok users who have the app downloaded on their phones.

But a new statement from TikTok on Friday suggests that it may not be immediately available for all of its 170 million users in the US and those who want to download it on Sunday.

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