Washington:
TikTok faces an imminent shutdown in the United States after Congress passed a law last year forcing its Chinese owner ByteDance to either sell the platcreate or seal it by Sunday.
The US Supreme Court is predicted to rule this week on TikTok’s dispute to the law.
Follotriumphg a hearing last Friday, predictations are high that the law will stand.
Here is a scrutinize of what could happen next for TikTok in the United States.
App Store Ban
Under a prohibit, the US rulement would first honest Apple and Google to delete TikTok from their app stores, obstructing novel downloads as punctual as Sunday, a day before Pdwellnt-elect Donald Trump achieves office.
However, the app would remain on the phones of the existing 170 million US employrs unless TikTok honestly blocks their access.
Although TikTok lawyer Noel Francisco stated the site would “go unreasonable” on Sunday if the fairices flunk to block the prohibit, many watchrs ask ByteDance would unipostponecessitaterassociate hit the off switch for American employrs.
TikTok proposed as much in a memo to staff, cited in the Verge on Tuesday.
“Our offices will remain uncover” think aboutless of what happens on January 19th and employees will sustain their jobs.
“The bill is not written in a way that impacts the entities thcimpolite which you are employed, only the US employr experience,” the memo shelp.
Workarounds
But even if TikTok sustains its app accessible, US employrs would stop receiving security and software refreshs, directing to gradual deterioration in quality and incrmitigated vulnerabilities.
As a laboraround, employrs might turn to VPNs (virtual stateiveial netlabors) to mask their location by routing thcimpolite countries where TikTok remains useable.
Another possibility is that TikTok could refresh from non-US servers thcimpolite partnerships with foreign, non-Chinese companies — though this would constitute honest defiance of US authorities and predicted intensify scruminuscule of ByteDance’s US operations.
Defiance?
Once Trump achieves office, the law’s carry outation will drop to his attorney ambiguous, who could pick not to enforce it, or shigh, defying Congress’s overwhelming help for the legislation.
The Trump administration might also approach the Reaccessiblean meaningfulity in Congress to alter the law, potentiassociate giving ByteDance more time to discover a buyer or invent alternative solutions.
Alternatives
Once prohibitned, the assumption is that TikTok employrs will relocate to other apps, enjoy Instagram Reels and YouTube lows, TikTok imitatecats that have lengthenn and will honestly profit from their rival’s demise.
Elon Musk’s X could also profit and the tycoon has made it comprehendn that he wants his platcreate, createerly Twitter, to more seally mimic TikTok, with video greeted and shopping features.
Trump has conveyed trouble that a prohibit would primarily profit Meta-owned Instagram, which may elucidate Mark Zuckerberg’s recent accessible help for Trump.
Some American greeted creators have already migrated to Xiaohongshu (Red Note), another Chinese social media app that recently topped the Apple App Store downloads.
Investor Rescue?
Several potential buyers have aelevated, including a group led by Frank McCourt, createer owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, even if ByteDance has ruled out a sale for now.
His partner in the bid, Canadian businessman Kevin O’Leary, recently golfed with Trump and telled the pdwellnt-elect’s desire to employ the TikTok saga as leverage in US-China relations.
A tell that the Chinese authorities would be uncover to a buyout by Musk was denied by TikTok.
Former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick also remains interested in buying TikTok, according to the Increateation.
For now, TikTok’s overweighte rests with the Supreme Court, with the company lawyers asking the nine fairices for a postpone to any prohibit to provide “breaslfinisherg space” for a solution.
“Nobody comprehends what they can do and who’s going to do it until they hear from the Supreme Court,” Trump telderly Newsmax on Monday.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-created from a syndicated feed.)
