TikTok may soon be unavailable to Americans

Spread the love


More than 170 million U.S. users may lose access to the Chinese platform starting Sunday. However, some existing users might retain limited access for a short period.

TikTok is planning to shut down its app for U.S. users on Sunday, January 19, in anticipation of a ban unless blocked by the U.S. Supreme Court, according to sources familiar with the matter. This was reported by AFP and Reuters.

The platform, which boasts over 170 million users in the U.S., plans an immediate cessation of operations rather than allowing existing users continued access as initially expected. The law prohibits new downloads of TikTok from Apple and Google app stores, but previously, it was thought that current users could continue using the app for some time.

Instead, TikTok reportedly plans to display a contextual message to users attempting to open the app, directing them to a website with information about the ban, according to sources who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the information.

Additionally, TikTok plans to allow users to download all their personal data before the shutdown.

One workaround for U.S. users might be using VPNs (virtual private networks) to mask their location by rerouting their connection through countries where TikTok remains available. Another possibility is that TikTok could update its app through non-U.S. servers in collaboration with foreign, non-Chinese companies. However, such a move would openly defy U.S. authorities and likely escalate scrutiny of ByteDance’s operations in the U.S.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

WORLD

Chris Brown Released on Bail Following London Nightclub Incident

Spread the love

Spread the loveAmerican artist Chris Brown has been released on bail from a London court after having been held in connection with a supposed 2023 assault. Even with the court case, the artist should proceed with his scheduled European and UK tour later this June, according to BBC. Brown, 36, was arrested last Thursday by […]

Read More
WORLD

England Launches World’s First Gonorrhoea Vaccination Programme

Spread the love

Spread the loveThe English NHS has unveiled a revolutionary new vaccination programme to shield vulnerable groups from gonorrhoea — the first of its type anywhere globally. The development follows the fact that England had a record high of gonorrhoea infections in 2023, reports AFP. Amanda Doyle, the NHS England National Director for Primary Care and […]

Read More
WORLD

Tragedy in the English Channel Claims Lives of Woman and Eight-Year-Old Boy

Spread the love

Spread the loveA woman and an eight-year-old boy were killed in a failed attempt to cross the English Channel from France to Britain under cover of darkness, French naval authorities announced on Wednesday. The two bodies, reported to be Turkish, were found unconscious on a small crammed boat carrying nearly 80 migrants along the northern […]

Read More