TikTok, a popular social media platform owned by China’s ByteDance, plans to shut down its app for U.S. users on Sunday, January 19, 2025, in response to a federal ban.
Upon attempting to access the app after the shutdown, users will be redirected to a website providing information about the ban and options to download their data. While the app will remain on users’ devices, it will no longer function, and updates will be prohibited, leading to eventual obsolescence.
In anticipation of the shutdown, many of TikTok’s approximately 170 million American users have begun migrating to alternative platforms, such as RedNote, which has seen a surge in popularity.
The Biden administration has indicated it will not intervene to delay the ban unless ByteDance presents a credible plan to divest its U.S. operations. President-elect Donald Trump is reportedly considering an executive order to postpone the ban for 60 to 90 days, though the legal mechanisms for such a delay remain unclear.
