TikTok has announced that it will go dark on Sunday, January 19th, if the Biden administration fails to take action.
The company claims it will be “forced to go dark” on the 19th unless the outgoing administration provides a “definitive statement” assuring its “most critical service providers” that they won’t face legal repercussions for compliance. These critical providers include Apple, Google, Amazon, and Oracle.
TikTok’s announcement comes in the wake of a recent Supreme Court ruling that upheld the ban on the app. Following the ruling, TikTok CEO Shou Chew reached out to President-elect Donald Trump in a video, although he did not clarify what the future holds for the app once the law is enacted. Chew is also expected to be present at Trump’s inauguration.
Below is the full statement from TikTok:
The statements issued today by both the Biden White House and the Department of Justice have not provided the necessary clarity and assurance to the service providers that are vital for maintaining TikTok’s availability to over 170 million Americans.
Unless the Biden Administration promptly delivers a definitive statement to satisfy these essential service providers, assuring non-enforcement, unfortunately, TikTok will be compelled to go dark on January 19.
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