
Social network TikTok must cease all activities in the US tomorrow
The social network TikTok, owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, announced that it will be forced to cease all activities in the United States tomorrow if it does not receive a clear statement from the White House about its future.
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The announcement came after the US Supreme Court yesterday upheld a law banning the use of TikTok in the US unless the platform cuts ties with its Chinese parent company by Sunday, US media reported.
The US administration said on Friday it would not implement a potential ban immediately after the deadline, leaving the implementation of the law to US President-elect Donald Trump, who takes office on Monday. Trump, who opposed the ban, said he would seek to overturn the decision.
However, TikTok stated that the messages from the administration of outgoing US President Joseph Biden were not clear enough.
In response to TikTok, a White House official said that the Biden administration has already made great efforts to communicate its position and that it will be up to the Trump administration to implement the law.
The ban is set to take effect tomorrow, January 19. Under the law, the Chinese company ByteDance has to sell the American branch of its popular social network by tomorrow or else it will be banned in the United States.
According to the ruling, the law, which was passed last year by a large majority of representatives in Congress, both Republicans and Democrats, does not violate the First Amendment to the US Constitution, which protects freedom of speech, Reuters reports.
The Supreme Court heard arguments from both sides until January 10, just nine days before the deadline set by law.
TikTok is used by millions of Americans and is among the most popular platforms in that country, and the company plans to close its US operations unless there is a last-minute turnaround, sources told Reuters.