TikTok is facing a potential ban in the United States next week if its parent company, ByteDance, does not sell the platform to a U.S.-based company. The deadline for this decision is January 19, but ByteDance appears unwilling to part with the app.
TikTok’s legal team argues that banning the platform would violate the free speech rights of its 170 million U.S. users. However, on Friday, January 10, Supreme Court justices again raised concerns about the platform’s data collection practices and their potential misuse.
The U.S. government’s primary concern is that ByteDance’s ties to China could allow the Chinese government to use TikTok for surveillance or political influence. This has been a central point in the ongoing push to either force a sale or restrict the app entirely.
If the Supreme Court does not extend the enforcement deadline or ByteDance does not agree to sell, TikTok could be banned in the U.S. starting Sunday, January 19. This would mean the app would no longer be available for download or updates on Google Play and the Apple App Store in the U.S., effectively cutting off access for new and existing users.
Remember the USA x TikTok controversy
The ongoing conflict between ByteDance, the owner of TikTok, and the United States government dates back to 2020. At the time, the U.S. government accused ByteDance of sharing user data with the Chinese government and ordered a ban on the app within the country.
In early 2024, U.S. lawmakers passed a bill requiring ByteDance to sell its U.S. operations to an American company. This legislation, approved by the House of Representatives and the Senate, addressed national security and data privacy concerns.
The U.S. government claimed that TikTok was transmitting American user data to Beijing—a charge that ByteDance has consistently denied. This situation is widely viewed as another chapter in the broader diplomatic tensions between the United States and China, highlighting the intersection of technology, privacy, and geopolitical rivalry.
