Will You Still Be Able to Use TikTok? With Ban Deadline Days Away Here Are 5 Things That Could Happen

Mar. 15, 2025

The law is set to go into effect on Jan. 19, one day before Donald Trump’s inauguration.Photo:MAEVA DESTOMBES/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty

MAEVA DESTOMBES/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty

With just days to go before TikTok could be banned from being distributed in the United States, many social media users have been left with tons of questions about what could actually happen on Sunday, Jan. 19 — and beyond.

Will the app immediately shut down? And if that happens, how long could it last — and will people still be able to use the app?

While there are still plenty of uncertainties as Sunday’s deadline looms, here are several possibilities.

The Supreme Court could still intervene

Last week, Supreme Courtjustices heard argumentsabout whether to step in and temporarily pause the measure or let the ban go forward.

Supporters of the bill fear that China’s government could use data from the app to manipulate or harm Americans, while TikTok argues that the ban is a violation of free speech for its tens of millions of American users.

On Jan. 10, Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar, who argued on behalf of the government, said that TikTok could operate as normal, but only if ByteDance would sell.

“All the act is doing is trying to surgically remove the ability of a foreign adversary nation to get our data and to be able to exercise control over the platform," she said, while Justice Amy Coney Barrett echoed the the same argument, saying, “The law doesn’t say ‘shut down’ [TikTok]. It says ByteDance must divest. If it did that, we wouldn’t be here."

However, Justice Neil Gorsuch sounded more skeptical and noted that TikTok would accept a disclaimer about China.

ABC News,CNNandThe New York Timespreviously reported that a majority of the justices appeared inclined to let the ban proceed, but a decision has yet to materialize — and although the court has indicated that justices will announce at least one decision on Friday, Jan. 17, they did not confirm if it would involve TikTok.

Still, given the looming deadline, the news led to speculation — and for some, hope — that a decision on the fate of the app is on the way.

Could the Biden administration still stop the ban?

Amidswirling reportsabout what actions Biden might take in his final days in office, a White House official said that given the timing of when the ban is set to go into effect — just one day before President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration — “it will be up to the next administration to implement.”

ABC NewsandNBC Newsreported that this signals that the Biden administration effectively doesn’t plan to enforce the law during the last hours of his term.

“Foreign media reports that ByteDance is exploring the sale of TikTok are untrue,” the company has said. “ByteDance doesn’t have any plan to sell TikTok.".getty

Will someone buy TikTok?

TikTok and ByteDance have been candid about not wanting to sell their app, despite a number of formal offers to purchase the social media giant.

In April 2024, soon after Biden signed the bill that would force the company to sell or shut down, ByteDance denied rumors that it was considering a sale. “Foreign media reports that ByteDance is exploring the sale of TikTok are untrue,” the company said at the time, perCNN. “ByteDance doesn’t have any plan to sell TikTok.”

Additionally, in afilingto the Supreme Court, TikTok further confirmed that it had no plans to sell when its lawyers wrote that the law “will take effect on January 19, 2025, shutting down TikTok for its more than 170 million monthly American users.”

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Although TikTok can’t be sold without ByteDance’s permission, as all parties involved would have to agree to a sale, that hasn’t stopped a number of high-profile figures from showing interest in purchasing TikTok, including billionaire andShark TankstarKevin O’Leary.

O’Leary and his business partner in the proposed deal, former Dodgers owner Frank McCourt and his organization Project Liberty, said that they were “excited” about what they saw asan opportunity to purchase the app. According to CNN, they did not disclose how much they formally offered to pay for the app.

“This isn’t just about buying TikTok’s U.S. assets. It’s about something much bigger: protecting the privacy of 170 million American users. It’s about empowering creators and small businesses. And it’s about building a platform that prioritizes PEOPLE over algorithms,” McCourt wrote on X.

Influencer and social media personality Jimmy Donaldson, known mostly as MrBeast, also said he was considering trying to purchase the app in apostto X on Monday: “Okay fine, I’ll buy TikTok so it doesn’t get banned.”

Donaldson shared anotherposton Tuesday, Jan. 14, writing: “Unironically, I’ve had so many billionaires reach out to me since I tweeted this. Let’s see if we can pull this off.”

Tesla and X ownerElon Musk’s name has also come up as a potential buyer, according to several outlets. However, a TikTok representative denied the rumors, telling PEOPLE in a statement: “We cannot be expected to comment on pure fiction.”

Will TikTok stop working?

Attorneys for TikTok have said in court that the app will “go dark” if the law goes into effect on Sunday, although it remains unclear exactly what that means.

If implemented, the law would force the app to be removed from app stores (like through Apple or Google cell phones) and make it inaccessible through internet browsers in America — and violations could mean giant financial penalties.

Additionally, new users would not be able to access or download TikTok, although people who still have TikTok as an app on their phone could potentially access its content after Sunday, but the app would not be updated over time and would be expected to become more difficult to use.

However, speaking before the Supreme Court last week, TikTok attorney Noel Francisco said that going dark meant that “essentially, the platform shuts down” — andReutershas reported that if the ban goes into effect, any users attempting to open the app on their phone will see a message about how the app is no longer available in their country.

TikTok did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment about their plans on Thursday, Jan. 16.

“I have a warm spot in my heart for TikTok,” Trump said last month.File: Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa/Getty

What will the Trump administration do?

Although Trump did try to ban TikTok during his first term, saying at the time that he viewed the app as a national security threat, he has seemingly changed his mind.

On Wednesday, Jan. 15, theWashington Postreported that he was considering issuing an executive order once he takes office that would suspend enforcement of the ban for somewhere between 60 to 90 days. The months-long period would give Trump time to help broker a sale of the company or offer another solution.

“I have a warm spot in my heart for TikTok,” Trump said last month, per the newspaper.The outlet also reported that the Singapore-based CEO of TikTok, Shou Zi Chew, visited Trump as his Mar-A-Lago club in December 2024, and according to theNew York Times, the businessman is expected to attend Trump inauguration.

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The newspaper alsoreported that Trump could tellhis pick for attorney general, Pam Bondi, not to enforce the ban — effectively ignoring it (meaning that they wouldn’t receive financial or other penalties) and allowing app stores and internet browsers or service providers to ignore the ban, too.

Bondi recentlydeclined to say whether she would committo enforcing the law during her confirmation hearing on Wednesday.

source: people.com