a usa forbid of TikTok It took effect Sunday, ending a high-stakes battle that pitted the federal government against one of the nation’s most popular social media platforms.
the congress overcome The measure, backed by overwhelming bipartisan support last spring, gave TikTok a 270-day window to cut ties with China-based parent company ByteDance or face a ban.
Instead of going on sale, however, TikTok filed a lawsuit on First Amendment grounds that failed in the Supreme Court on Friday.
The unanimous decision the nation’s highest court found merit in national security concerns about the Chinese government’s potential collection of user data or manipulation of content.
However, the ultimate fate of TikTok is uncertain. Rather than forcing the TikTok app to go dark, the ban targets third-party companies like cloud service providers and app stores, which TikTok could. avoid these restrictionsat least temporarily.
The platform was unavailable for some users on Saturday afternoon, with a pop-up message on the app that read: “Sorry, TikTok is currently unavailable.” By Sunday morning, the App stores run by Apple, Google and Samsung he started to take it off the application
The Biden administration he said Earlier this week he said he would not enforce the ban on Sunday, leaving the implementation of the measure up to President-elect Donald Trump, who will take office on Monday. Trump has vowed to reverse the ban.
Here’s what could be next for TikTok.
The quality of TikTok is expected to deteriorate
TikTok could be available to US users in the coming days and weeks, but the app would suffer a drop in quality, experts say. previously told ABC News
The reason is that the ban would impose restrictions on app stores and hosting companies that provide the digital infrastructure that web services like TikTok depend on.
Mandatory removal of the app from major stores would not only prevent new users from downloading the app, but also prevent existing users from updating it.
Apple said in a support update published on Sunday that users who have ByteDance apps installed will be able to save them to their device.
“But they can’t be downloaded again if they’re deleted or restored if you move to a new device,” Apple said. “In-app purchases and new subscriptions are no longer possible.”
Without the update, the app’s quality would deteriorate over time, some experts said, leading to drawbacks such as video loading delays and performance glitches.
A separate provision in the ban would make it illegal for hosting companies to offer TikTok services. This measure provides a fairly broad characterization of such companies.
TikTok would cease to function if US hosting companies stopped providing services. However, the social media giant could partner with hosting companies outside the US, putting them out of the reach of US enforcement, at least in theory.
The move would make TikTok available to users in the US, but the service would likely become slower and more buggy as the digital infrastructure moves further away, experts said.
In this Jan. 31, 2024 file photo, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew speaks during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.
The Washington Post via Getty Images, FILE
Trump has vowed to reverse the ban
Trump is considering what executive actions to keep TikTok running, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.
One option is an executive order that could try to direct the government to not enforce the law, but that path has legal roadblocks, experts told ABC News, with the Supreme Court now confirming that an executive order cannot override a law passed by Congress.
Trump’s Justice Department could still opt out of law enforcement, ensuring that app stores and cloud service providers won’t face prosecution in the event of a breach.
While the Justice Department has enforcement authority, app providers like Apple and Google could still face hefty fines under a law with a five-year statute of limitations, which would extend beyond the length of Trump’s presidency.
Pam Bondi, Trump’s nominee for attorney general, declined to say during her confirmation hearing this week whether she would commit to enforcing the TikTok ban.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew, who will attend Trump’s inauguration after receiving an invitation from the incoming administration, thanked Trump in a video. published to TikTok on Friday after the Supreme Court ruling.
“I want to thank President Trump for his commitment to work with us to find a solution that keeps TikTok available in the United States. This is a strong stance against the First Amendment and arbitrary censorship,” Chew said.
Congress can take up the ban a second time
They may be waiting for the potential repeal of the law that banned the TikTok app in the first place.
The repeal would have to pass both houses of Congress, putting the measure on Trump’s desk for his signature.
Congress voted for the ban only nine months ago. In the House of Representatives, the ban passed by a large margin of 352-65. In the Senate, 79 members voted in favor of the measure, 18 against and three abstained.
Since then, however, Trump has voiced his disapproval of the measure and Republicans have taken control of both houses of Congress. However, it is impossible to predict whether such a repeal will make it to the ground, and its fate if it does.
ABC News’ Selina Wang, Katherine Faulders, Steven Portnoy, Elizabeth Schulze and Devin Dwyer contributed to this report.
