TikTok may be fully closed on Sundays. The closure will be extended until a new law takes effect.

TikTok may be completely closed in the US, according to reports that say the app will stop running entirely without opening up for new downloads. This goes beyond the requirements of a legal order and is only designed to prevent new downloads.

However, Congress could save the company by proposing new laws and giving it 270 days of grace before implementation.

According to related news, Chinese authorities have denied Bloomberg's report that ByteDance is considering selling its X stake to Elon Musk's US headquarters.

The Story So Far

The story began in 2020 when then-US President Trump announced that TikTok must be sold to a US company if it was to avoid being banned from the US until September of that year. The deadline was extended twice and quietly expired without anything happening.

However, in 2023, Congress took up the issue, creating new laws to ban TikTok from the US market and forcing app sales to American companies. ByteDance sued the US government, claiming that the threatened ban is illegal and that it infringes on its right of free speech under the First Amendment.

The case was heard last month, and the court rejected all constitutional disputes. The final hope was a filing with the Supreme Court, but it now seems unlikely to be granted.

“There is a possibility that the app could completely shut down in the US.”

The new download restrictions will block the app from being downloaded through the app store. Existing users can continue to use the app with its functions intact.

However, Reuters reported that the company is planning a complete shutdown.

“TikTok plans to close its app for US users on Sunday. This could be due to the possibility of federal legislation banning social media apps…”

The translation of a technology article follows:

According to TikTok's plan, anyone trying to download the app will see a pop-up message directing them to a website with information about the ban. The details are not public, so anonymity is being sought.

This is seen as an attempt by China to apply pressure on the US. Existing users are very dissatisfied and want to blame US lawmakers.

New laws may provide up to 270 days of extension.

In the Senate, there are senators who propose new laws that would give the company more time to reach an agreement with a US company.

Senator Edward J. Markey plans to introduce the Texas Deadline Extension Act to delay TikTok's sale deadline by 270 days (9 months) in order for ByteDance to reach an agreement with a US company. The bill would extend TikTok's sale deadline from its current 270 days.

He said that there is a lot involved, and he does not have enough support for the bill to pass.

Chinese officials deny Elon Musk's report.

"Bolt reported recently that the Chinese government is considering proposals submitted by Elon Musk."

The authorities are evaluating the potential option of Elon Musk obtaining the company's US operations if TikTok's short-form video app cannot comply with a controversial order. According to people familiar with the matter.

Senior officials in China have already begun discussing emergency response plans in Tokyo, which is part of a broader discussion on how to cooperate with Donald Trump's government, and it includes plans involving Musk.

However, independent reports say that this has been denied.

"The spokesperson for TikTok said: 'We cannot comment on purely fictional matters.'"

'Visuals by Unsplash'