TikTok users hope for last-minute save ahead of looming ban
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Time is running out for popular video-sharing app TikTok after the Supreme Court ruled to uphold the federal law banning it in the United States.
The TikTok ban is set to go into effect Sunday, Jan. 19th. The looming ban has been a topic of conversation for the 170-million U.S. users.
TikTok users told CBS 58 that the app is unique from the other social networks that came before it. "It is such a big platform and it's so easy to reach audiences so quickly," said Jenan Halawa.
Andrea Hoppe said she prefers it over Instagram because it has a special way of bringing people together.
TikTok's parent company Bytedance is Chinese owned, which raised national security concerns for U.S. lawmakers, leading to the ban. The law called for TikTok to stop running in the U.S. unless Bytedance sold the app to a non-Chinese owner, something the company's lawyers have signaled is not likely.
Several TikTok users told CBS 58 they have no security concerns about the app. "If you're not paying for the product, you are the product so every time we use our phone, our data is getting sold. It is not just TikTok," said Halawa.
Experts say come Jan. 19th, the app could continue to work for a while before eventually beginning to experience glitches and ultimately malfunctions when software updates become unavailable. Alternatively, TikTok could decide to pull the plug and make the app go dark immediately.
The federal ban threatens expensive fines for all the app store providers if they continue to offer downloads or software updates that keep TikTok running.
With the inauguration set to take place the day after the ban, the Biden administration says it will be up to President-Elect Trump's administration to decide if it will enforce the law.
TikTok users are hopeful for a last minute save when Trump returns to the White House. During his last presidency, President Trump supported banning TikTok, but during his 2024 presidential campaign said he'd like to see TikTok saved. No word yet on if he has plans to take any action on the matter once he takes office.