TikTok considering total shutdown in U.S. if ban moves forward

TikTok is preparing to potentially make the app unavailable to its 170 million American users on Sunday.

TikTok is preparing to possibly make the app unavailable to its 170 million U.S. users Sunday, the day a U.S. ban is set to go into effect, a person with knowledge of the company’s planning told NBC News.

A law President Joe Biden signed in April requires TikTok to divest from its Chinese ownership and sell to a U.S. company or it will be shut down. If the Supreme Court declares the law unconstitutional before then, TikTok can continue to exist as it is today. 

But TikTok hasn’t made a final decision about what will happen if the Supreme Court rules against it, according to the person with knowledge of the discussions, who spoke on the condition of anonymity without authorization to speak publicly. Active conversations — including phone calls and meetings — were ongoing midday Wednesday, the person said.

A report Tuesday from The Information said that if the justices uphold the law, the app will go dark rather than allow people already on it to continue using it, citing two unnamed sources it said were familiar with TikTok’s plans. 

The person who spoke with NBC News said Wednesday evening that the company regards going dark as a last resort.

https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/social-media/tiktok-ban-total-shutdown-us-app-moves-forward-rcna187621

---