
The Supreme Court has spoken, and TikTok’s days in the U.S. look numbered. With a law officially paving the way for a nationwide ban, the app has until Jan. 19 to comply with U.S. regulations—or face an all-out blackout. The stakes? Over 170 million American users could lose access.
So, what happens next? TikTok’s future seems to boil down to three scenarios. Let’s break them down.
Scenario 1: TikTok Goes Dark
This is the worst-case scenario for TikTok diehards. If the ban is implemented without a hitch, two big things happen:
- No New Downloads: Starting Jan. 19, TikTok will disappear from Apple and Google app stores. If it’s not already on your phone, it’s game over.
- A Slow Shutdown: The law would ban American internet service providers who currently host the app to no longer “provide the services that enable the platform to function.” That means without updates or tech support, TikTok will slowly become unusable. Users won’t be able to upload new content, and eventually they might not be able to view it altogether.
But TikTok may not even wait to fizzle out. Reports suggest ByteDance might pull the plug on the app entirely once the ban takes effect. While the company hasn’t confirmed this, it would mean TikTok’s American chapter ends with one swift move, rather than a drawn-out decline.
Scenario 2: TikTok Gets a 90-Day Extension
There’s a lifeline—sort of. The president has the power to delay the ban by 90 days if ByteDance proves it’s actively working to sell TikTok.
The Biden administration hasn’t signaled plans to extend the deadline, leaving the decision to President-elect Trump. On the campaign trail, Trump promised to “save TikTok in America,” so it’s possible he could grant the app a three-month reprieve to facilitate a sale. And following the Supreme Court’s announcement, he told CNN that he would be the one “making the decision.”
Here’s where it gets tricky: the ban only works if ByteDance is actively looking for buyers… but the company has previously said they “do not have any plans to sell TikTok.”
Over the last year, companies like Oracle, Walmart and Microsoft have expressed interest in buying TikTok. More recently, potential buyers from former Dodgers owner Frank McCourt to Shark Tank star Kevin O’Leary to even YouTuber MrBeast have floated offers. ByteDance, however, has consistently resisted selling one of its most valuable assets.
Scenario 3: The Ban Happens, But Nobody Enforces It
This option lives in the gray area of legal loopholes. Trump could instruct his Justice Department to look the other way, effectively pausing enforcement of the ban. The catch? Without a formal override of the law, using TikTok would technically be illegal, leaving companies and users wary of crossing that line.
Some reports suggest Trump might issue an executive order to suspend the ban for 60 to 90 days, giving his administration time to explore other options—whether negotiating a sale or finding a workaround for security concerns. But legal experts aren’t convinced that an executive order would override the law, which Congress passed and the Supreme Court upheld.
In this scenario, the ban would also still officially exist, but its enforcement would fall to companies like Apple and Google, creating a messy limbo for TikTok users and tech giants alike.
The Clock Is Ticking
With Jan. 19 fast approaching, TikTok’s future in the U.S. hangs by a thread. Whether it’s a sale, an extension or a shutdown, one thing’s clear: the app’s days as we know it may be over. For now, scroll while you still can.