A TikTok Ban Was Approved in the U.S.—What’s Next?

After years of controversy, President Biden signed a law requiring TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to sell the platform to a U.S. entity by January 19, 2025—or face a nationwide ban. But with the deadline looming and enforcement still uncertain, the app’s future hangs in the balance.

Deadline Extensions and Executive Hesitations

Despite bipartisan support for the ban, enforcement has stalled. Senate Democrats failed to pass a bill to extend the sale deadline. President Biden reportedly sought a workaround to avoid banning the app before leaving office, while incoming President Trump—once a vocal critic of TikTok—has issued two deadline extensions: one in January and another in April, pushing the final cutoff to June 19, 2025.

Both administrations have shown reluctance to shut the app down outright, even as the Supreme Court upheld the legislation mandating a ban if ByteDance doesn’t divest.

What Would a TikTok Ban Look Like?

If the deadline passes without a sale, TikTok likely won’t disappear overnight. Existing users would still have the app installed, but it could be removed from app stores, preventing new downloads and future updates. Over time, security vulnerabilities could mount.

Internet service providers could also be instructed to block access to TikTok’s web version, although enforcing this would be more complex. These disruptions wouldn’t be immediate but would gradually degrade the user experience.

A Surge in TikTok Alternatives

As uncertainty grows, apps like RedNote (known as Xiaohongshu in China) are gaining popularity. Despite its success, RedNote is also China-based, raising similar concerns around data privacy and geopolitical risk.

National Security Drives the Ban

The legislation stems from fears that ByteDance could share user data with the Chinese government. The “Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act” specifically targets foreign-owned apps and gives the White House broader authority to take action against other platforms operated by adversarial nations, including China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.

App stores and ISPs face $5,000 fines per user for continuing to allow access to banned apps. TikTok must also comply with a data portability requirement, enabling U.S. users to request and export all their account information before the ban takes effect. Violations carry a $500 fine per user.

Data Brokers Also Under Scrutiny

The broader security package includes the “Protecting Americans’ Data from Foreign Adversaries Act,” which bans the sale of personal data—such as communications, biometric info, geolocation, and login credentials—to foreign adversaries or their affiliates.

TikTok’s Legal Battle—and Setbacks

TikTok is challenging the law in court, calling it unconstitutional and a violation of free speech. The company has filed multiple lawsuits, and its CEO assured users, “We aren’t going anywhere.”

The Supreme Court and a federal appeals court have both upheld the law. Meanwhile, TikTok creators, many of whom rely on the platform for income, also sued the government—arguing that the ban would infringe on their First Amendment rights. Their case was consolidated with TikTok’s and ultimately failed in court.

Political Reactions and Public Opinion

Lawmakers remain divided. Critics like Sen. Ron Wyden warn that the law gives the government sweeping powers that could threaten free expression. The ACLU has echoed these concerns. But supporters argue the bill targets ownership, not speech, and point to precedent—such as the U.S. forcing a Chinese company to sell Grindr in 2020.

Public sentiment has also shifted. A Pew Research poll in late 2024 showed 32% support for a ban, down from 50% in 2023, with younger Americans largely opposed. An AP-NORC poll found 73% of daily TikTok users oppose the ban.

Global Bans and Restrictions

TikTok has been banned or restricted in various countries due to safety or security concerns. India banned the app in 2020, and it’s barred on government devices in the U.S. and elsewhere. Ironically, TikTok is not available in China, where its parent company instead runs Douyin—a separate app built for Chinese users.