TikTok says it will go dark on Sunday if Biden doesn’t intervene; White House calls it a ‘trick’

TikTok said its services would stop working on Sunday without assurances from the Biden administration that it would not punish an apple, Google and other service providers if they support the application.

“If the Biden administration does not immediately issue a final statement to satisfy the most critical service providers to ensure that the measures are not implemented, TikTok will unfortunately be forced to shut down on January 19,” TikTok said. in the statement on Friday.

The statement indicated that TikTok’s US user base, which the company says is more than 170 million, will not be able to use the service if they open the app or website on Sunday.

In response, the White House on Saturday called TikTok’s threat to shut down in the US a “trick” and said it saw no reason for TikTok or other companies to take any action in the next few days before the Trump administration takes office on Monday. , January 20.

“We’ve seen the latest statement from TikTok. It’s a trick,” White House press secretary Karin Jean-Pierre said. “We have clearly and directly stated our position: actions to implement this law lie with the next administration. Therefore, TikTok and other companies should address any issues with them.”

TikTok released its statement afterwards The Supreme Court ruled unanimously on Friday support a law requiring service providers to no longer support its app in the US unless parent company ByteDance completes a “qualified takedown” of the app by Sunday. As a result, Apple, Google and Oracle may face severe punishment if they do not follow the law.

“The statements made today by both the Biden White House and the Department of Justice failed to provide the necessary clarity and certainty to service providers who are integral to keeping TikTok accessible to more than 170 million Americans,” – TikTok said in a statement.

However, Biden’s term ends on Monday when he is elected president Donald Trump begins his second term in the White House. Trump, who had previously supported banning TikTok, later backed down on the issue. Trump in December asked Supreme Court to to suspend the execution of the law and to give his administration “an opportunity to seek a political resolution of the issues at issue in the case.”

In a Friday post on his social media app Truth Social, Trump wrote: “My decision on TikTok will be made in the near future, but I need to have time to consider the situation. Stay tuned!”

Earlier on Friday, the Biden administration issued a statement saying that TikTok “should remain available to Americans, but simply under American ownership.”

“Given the timing itself, this administration recognizes that action to enforce the law simply must belong to the next administration that takes office on Monday,” the statement said.

This was announced by Attorney General Merrick Garland and his deputy Lisa Monaco liberation that the decision “allows the Justice Department to prevent the Chinese government from turning TikTok into a weapon to undermine America’s national security.”

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