TikTok Plans US Shutdown
Video social media platform TikTok has announced plans to cease operations in the US on January 19 unless the Supreme Court blocks or delays its ban – read more below.
Legal Battle Over TikTok
According to a report from Associated Press, TikTok has confirmed that it intends to shut down its app in the US on January 19th. However, this will be a last resort if the Supreme Court decides to enforce laws that would compel the Chinese-owned platform to be sold to a third party, severing ties with its parent company, ByteDance. ByteDance stated it has no intention of selling the app.
This follows TikTok and ByteDance losing an appeal last month when a US federal appeals court panel unanimously upheld legislation that would ban TikTok in the country by January 19 if it doesn’t sell out by then, unless the Supreme Court suggests alternative options for the companies.
The social media app’s legal representatives argued that the ban violated the country’s First Amendment, but this was rejected by the court, which claimed they were protecting free speech and limiting the capacity of a “foreign adversary state” to “collect data about people in the United States.”
On Saturday (Jan. 10), the court will hear further arguments regarding the law, which mandates that TikTok be sold by the Chinese company ByteDance and cut ties with it, or face a ban by Jan. 19.
Political Reactions and Implications
Donald Trump, who emerged victorious in the November 2024 US presidential election, publicly opposed the ban, despite supporting it during his first term. He has since asked the Supreme Court to stay the ban, though it remains unclear if this will influence the court’s decision.
On December 27, Trump’s lawyer submitted a legal brief expressing that he “opposes the TikTok ban” and is “seeking to address the issues through political means once he takes office.”
The sell-or-ban regulation was signed into law by US President Joe Biden on April 24 after extensive disputes over claims that the company’s ownership structure could permit the Chinese government to access data from millions of American users.
To date, over 30 US states, Canada, and the European Union have individually banned the app from being used on government devices due to security concerns. India imposed a nationwide ban on the app in January 2021, followed by similar actions in Taiwan and Afghanistan in 2022.
The repercussions of the TikTok ban in the US could profoundly affect the music industry, with a recent report indicating that most singles topping the US and UK charts in 2024 were tied to TikTok trends.
In May 2024, TikTok also established a new licensing agreement with Universal Music Group after the label initially withdrew its artists’ music from the platform due to unsuccessful negotiations. In September, TikTok discontinued its streaming service, TikTok Music, after just over a year of operation.
https://www.nme.com/news/music/tiktok-confirms-it-will-cease-operations-in-the-us-this-month-3827722?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tiktok-confirms-it-will-cease-operations-in-the-us-this-month
