TikTok's future: A timeline and analysis of the potential ban impact

TikTok, the wildly popular short-form video app, has faced intense scrutiny in the United States for years, with concerns escalating from national security risks to legislative action, lawsuits, and the looming possibility of a nationwide ban. What will happen to the platform and its 170 million U.S. users? Here's what we know.

The background

TikTok is the international version of Douyin, a short video app popular in China created by ByteDance. Founded in 2012 by entrepreneur Zhang Yiming, ByteDance developed an advanced recommendation algorithm to help users find their desired content.

Launched in 2017, TikTok rapidly gained global popularity, becoming the second most downloaded app worldwide in 2019, according to data from analysis firm SensorTower. However, this success coincided with growing U.S. scrutiny. In 2019, the U.S. Department of Defense recommended that all military personnel delete TikTok from their devices.

The Trump administration initiated serious attempts to restrict TikTok in 2020, issuing executive orders citing data collection concerns and potential ties to the Chinese government. These efforts faced legal challenges that largely stalled their implementation.

The Biden administration initially postponed the legal cases related to Trump's ban, effectively halting them. However, rival companies like Meta actively portrayed TikTok as a threat to children.

In the spring of 2024, Congress passed the "Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act," empowering President Biden to ban apps deemed a national security threat. Biden signed the bill into law, setting a potential deadline for ByteDance to divest its U.S. operations.

TikTok responded by suing the U.S. government, arguing that the ban is unconstitutional and violates the First Amendment rights of the company and its users. On January 10, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in the case but did not immediately issue a decision.

What happens now?

If the court upholds the ban and the U.S. government does not delay its implementation, TikTok will be banned in the U.S. by January 19, 2025.

U.S. smartphone users may no longer see TikTok in the app store, while those who already have the app installed on their phones may be unable to watch videos as the service shuts down.

Users may attempt to circumvent the ban by using tools like VPNs to access the videos.

Or they can find alternative platforms, like RedNote, another Chinese social media platform, which is topping the charts of free iPhone apps in the U.S. after being flooded with new registrations from the country. But TikTok creators, especially those who make a living on the platform, may have to start over on a new app without previous followers.

Read more: Upcoming U.S. TikTok ban drives users to ... another Chinese social media app

TikTok employees in the U.S. may not lose their jobs, as ByteDance has reportedly reassured them the company will not immediately leave the U.S.

The U.S. government could delay the ban, as Donald Trump, who will take office on January 20, is reportedly considering a plan to save TikTok. The U.S. Supreme Court may also overturn the ban in the few days before it goes into effect.

(With input from agencies.)