TikTok may face an immediate and complete shutdown in the US and that date is coming fast: it could happen this Sunday, January 19. ByteDance has reportedly begun preparations for such a possible moment.
The hugely popular social media platform is facing a potential impending doom after months and even years of threading troubled waters in the US. According to a new report, the app could be abruptly switched off in the US following a ban, instead of remaining operational for the millions of people who already have it on their phones. The info comes from unnamed people, allegedly familiar with the matter. If true, their claims mean that TikTok users in the US could lose access entirely by Sunday – unless the Supreme Court steps in to halt the looming ban. Understandably, new downloads on Apple’s App Store or the Google Play Store would also be impossible.
Unfortunately for many users, it’s starting to look like TikTok’s days in the US might be ticking away. The Supreme Court, which is currently the only entity that could stop the ban, seems likely to uphold it instead.
The platform took the world by storm in 2018 and 2019 and singlehandedly created the vertical short video format that has become a staple of social media nowadays. Instagram, YouTube, and other social media platforms have since introduced their own takes on short vertical videos.
There’s still some time left before we are officially certain of its fate. However, people have already started looking into alternatives such as Xiaohongshu (RedNote) or good-ol’ Instagram.
