Little piggies, it’s advised to enjoy your final morsels of slop before the hour grows dire. TikTok allegedly intends to terminate its application for United States users this Sunday, unless the Supreme Court or Congress halts the Biden administration directive compelling the company to sell itself.

The Information claims that TikTok has opted to extinguish its operations on January 19th instead of trudging along as some anticipated.

From a technical perspective, TikTok might persist for users who have already installed the app. Engaging with TikTok won’t be unlawful, but service providers in the USA will be barred from collaborating with the social network company. This signifies that Apple and Google must extract TikTok from their app platforms, and cloud hosting services like Oracle—which attempted helping TikTok segregate its American data from employees in China—must cease operating its servers.

TikTok isn’t facing prohibition elsewhere globally, and the firm informed American employees in a recent memo that post-ban, their jobs are secure. TikTok, indeed, enjoys widespread popularity worldwide, beyond just the USA, and will maintain normal operations outside America. In theory, it could manage the app for American users from non-domestic infrastructure. Yet, the challenge is persisting in the USA when downloading or updating the app won’t be feasible.

Nonetheless, some believed the app might continue until it grew too obsolete to operate. However, according to The Information, TikTok has decided to bow out as a martyr, enabling users to instantly witness the consequences of the ban. Reportedly, a pop-up will provide users with information about why the app they cherish is non-functional.

Gizmodo contacted TikTok seeking commentary but hasn’t yet received a reply.

An outright prohibition on TikTok might be beneficial if you consider the studies suggesting social media harms teenagers. Yet, other social media powerhouses might fill the void—YouTube, Instagram, and Snapchat all offer rival short-form video selections. Recently, certain TikTok users protested the looming ban by registering on a akin Chinese short-form video app called RedNote, which has sparked some remarkable content—indicating a TikTok ban likely won’t deter Zoomers from engaging in aimless scrolling. They’ll simply do so on a different platform.

An amusing result of the TikTok ban is perpetually online Zoomers expressing longing for their “Chinese spy,” referring to the accusation that China uses TikTok to observe Americans.

holy cow, just now realizing this app was responsible for the 2024 video of the year pic.twitter.com/NPdBCc3sSO

— rat king 🐀 (@MikeIsaac) January 14, 2025

TikTok isn’t being prohibited but rather the U.S. administration desires a change in its ownership, fearing ByteDance, its Chinese parent entity, might face compulsion to influence content Americans view or surrender personal data. If TikTok ends up under a new owner, such as Elon Musk, operations might persist. In 2020, the U.S. administration similarly compelled the Chinese owner of Grindr, a gay dating app, to sell it to U.S. stakeholders on national security foundations. TikTok has persistently asserted it won’t sell to new owners, partly arguing separation from the global app would be exceedingly complicated technically. The Chinese government might not greet this change favorably, either.

TikTok has consistently rejected claims that the Chinese government manipulates its operations but hasn’t managed to allay U.S. officials’ worries. Recent information proposes that China is contemplating selling TikTok to Elon Musk, contradicting the notion that it remains uninfluenced by Chinese authorities. President-elect Donald Trump has appealed to delay the ban via the Supreme Court until he has the opportunity to negotiate once in office, and influencers are apprehensive the ban could significantly impact their earnings. TikTok has unwaveringly stated it would rather close itself to Americans than sell; ultimately, it may capitulate.

Ironically, the Biden government has reportedly allowed some State Department personnel to keep utilizing TikTok for global diplomatic efforts. A ban for thee, not for me.