With President-elect Donald Trump introducing unpredictability on the potential ban for TikTok, attention is shifting toward major tech companies like Google and Apple, which are anticipated to remove the widely-used video-sharing app from their platforms imminently.
Although the Supreme Court recently ruled in favor of a federal law that could pave the way for a nationwide TikTok ban, the actual implementation of shutting down this social media platform remains uncertain, particularly as the deadline approaches on Sunday night.
The legal ruling arrives at a time of unusual political maneuvering by Trump, who has expressed his intention to negotiate an alternative once he is in office. Meanwhile, the outgoing administration of President Joe Biden has indicated it will not enforce the law come Sunday, which is his last full day in office. This situation leaves tech analysts and many users watching closely to see how events unfold over the weekend and thereafter.
“We’re treading in uncharted waters regarding technology policy,” noted Sarak Kreps, who heads the Tech Policy Institute at Cornell University.
Under the new law, mobile app stores—such as those run by Apple and Google—along with internet hosting services may incur hefty fines if they continue providing access to TikTok to U.S. users after the deadline, which relates to divestment from ByteDance, the app’s parent company based in China. The penalties could reach as high as $5,000 per user who remains on TikTok, potentially accumulating substantial costs.
A legal representative of TikTok stated to the justices last week that the platform would essentially “go dark” on January 19 unless the legal ruling is overturned. However, TikTok has yet to confirm whether it will restrict access to the app or its website on the impending date. Experts suggest that while the app may stay functional for current users, they won’t be able to receive any updates, rendering it unusable over the long run.
This week, Trump’s national security adviser indicated that the prospective new administration might consider measures to “prevent TikTok from going dark,” although what those measures entail—and their viability under legal scrutiny—remains to be seen.
“I will make a decision regarding TikTok in the near future, but I need time to evaluate the situation,” Trump stated in a posting on Truth Social after the Supreme Court’s decision. Earlier in the day, he mentioned that TikTok was among the topics discussed with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Attention is also focusing on technology giants like Apple, Google, and Oracle, which currently host TikTok on their app marketplaces or manage the data for the company.
Tech CEOs have been trying to cultivate a better rapport with Trump since his election last November, especially with his aim to delay the TikTok ban. Yet, Kreps remarked that it would be “hard to believe” they could continue to provide TikTok access without facing potential penalties, as this would place them at significant financial risk.
Additionally, tech companies are accustomed to complying with government requests for app removals. In 2023, for instance, Apple reported the elimination of nearly 1,500 apps globally, with around 1,300 of those taken down in China.
“Fines for companies like Apple and Google could reach as high as $850 billion,” wrote Senator Tom Cotton, R-Ark., on X this Thursday while referencing the U.S. TikTok legislation. “If I were running those companies, I wouldn’t take a politician’s word as assurance.”
David Choffnes, the executive director of the Cybersecurity and Privacy Institute at Northeastern University in Boston, speculated a “small chance” that TikTok would remain operational, although he recognized that this would involve significant risks for the companies involved.
Apple’s, Google’s, and Oracle’s responses to inquiries about their TikTok strategies this week went unanswered.
Following the Supreme Court ruling, TikTok’s CEO Shou Chew expressed gratitude in a video, mentioning his anticipation of attending Trump’s inauguration and commending the president-elect for his “commitment to collaborate” with TikTok to “discover a solution” that would keep the platform active.
“We are thankful for and pleased with the backing of a president who truly comprehends our platform—one who has utilized TikTok to convey his views to the world, which garnered over 60 billion views of his content in the process,” Chew remarked.
Earlier this week, TikTok reassured its U.S. employees that operations would continue as usual, regardless of a potential resolution regarding the platform’s status by Sunday. In a memo confirmed by the company and first noted by The New York Times, TikTok assured its workers that their “employment, pay, and benefits” were secure, emphasizing that the legislation affects the U.S. user experience rather than the companies employing them.
Additionally, in a letter sent to President Biden and Attorney General Merrick Garland on Friday, an attorney representing TikTok creators who have sued the government requested a pause in the law’s enforcement “until further definitive guidance” is provided.
“Furthermore, we seek clarification that no app store, internet hosting service, or provider faces enforcement risks or penalties concerning TikTok, CapCut, or any other ByteDance applications, until such additional guidance is issued,” stated the letter from attorney Jeffrey Fisher.
