A looming TikTok ban is set to take effect Sunday unless the app's Chinese parent company sells the popular platform, leaving users and investors scrambling for last-minute reprieves, The Hill reported.
On Friday, the Supreme Court upheld a new law banning TikTok starting Sunday unless its owner, ByteDance, sells the popular video-sharing app.
Although several potential buyers have expressed interest, the Chinese-based parent company insists it does not plan to sell. With time running out, many observers are uncertain whether the ban will be enforced — or ultimately reversed.
TikTok users should not expect the app to be immediately shut down on their phones, nor will they face legal trouble for continuing to use it. If the ban plays out, legal filings from the Justice Department suggest it will resemble a gradual fade.
New downloads will be blocked, updates will not appear in app stores, and internet hosting providers will be barred from carrying TikTok, eventually making the service unusable.
President Joe Biden has indicated he does not plan to enforce the law on Sunday, his final full day in office.
"Given the sheer fact of timing, this Administration recognizes that actions to implement the law simply must fall to the next Administration, which takes office on Monday," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.
President-elect Donald Trump, who takes office Monday, is reportedly considering an executive order to preserve TikTok despite the bipartisan support for the ban in Congress. His transition team has not revealed details, but spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said in November that he plans to "deliver" on his campaign pledge to "save TikTok."
Whether Trump's administration ultimately enforces the ban remains an open question. During her Senate confirmation hearing, Pam Bondi, Trump's pick for attorney general, sidestepped an inquiry about whether she would uphold a ban on TikTok.
Several high-profile figures have proposed buying the platform.
Frank McCourt, a billionaire businessman and former owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, recently announced that his internet advocacy group submitted a bid for TikTok.
Famed Shark Tank investor Kevin O'Leary joined that effort, while former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin formed an investor group. Others floated as potential buyers include Tesla CEO Elon Musk; social media star Jimmy Donaldson, known as MrBeast; and former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick.
Still, ByteDance appears adamant it will not sell, and experts note that Chinese authorities are unlikely to approve a deal involving TikTok's valuable algorithm.
Congress has raised national security concerns, claiming the app could hand over U.S. user data to Chinese officials. ByteDance denies any wrongdoing and points out the United States has offered no proof that Beijing has tried to manipulate or spy on U.S. TikTok users.