Tiktok's US shutdown threat: White House calls it a 'stunt' as deadline approaches

TikTok is threatening to shut down its operations in the US by Sunday unless tech giants like Apple and Google are given assurances that they will not face punishment for violating a new law that bans the app. The law, which has been upheld by the Supreme Court, mandates that TikTok's China-based parent company, ByteDance, must sell the app or face a complete ban in the country.

Late on Friday, TikTok issued an ultimatum, stating that without clarity from the outgoing Biden administration, it would be forced to "go dark" in the US. The platform argues that without the necessary assurances from the White House and the Department of Justice, service providers like Apple and Google will be at risk of prosecution for continuing to support the app after the ban is enforced.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre dismissed TikTok's warning as a "stunt," explaining that the Biden administration sees no reason for TikTok or other companies to take drastic action before President-elect Donald Trump takes office on Monday. She emphasized that it would be up to the new administration to decide how to move forward with the law.

The legal dispute centers on the Supreme Court ruling Friday that upheld the law banning TikTok in the US unless ByteDance agrees to sell the platform. ByteDance has repeatedly said it has no intention of selling TikTok and has vowed to challenge the law in court.

Under the law, TikTok's US version would be removed from app stores and web-hosting services in the coming days, marking a significant disruption for the social media giant's millions of American users.

As the deadline looms, the fate of TikTok in the US hangs in the balance, with tech companies and users anxiously awaiting the next move from both the White House and the incoming Trump administration.