The TikTok Ban Is Approaching — When Is the Last Day for TikTok in the U.S.?

The dreaded ban of TikTok in the U.S., which once seemed almost entirely theoretical, is drawing nearer by the day. The ban was first signed into law back in April, and now, some are wondering when it would officially go into effect.

There are a number of contingencies around the answer to this question, and many ways in which a total ban of the app could be avoided. Having said all that, though, here's what we know about when the ban would go into effect.

If nothing changes, the last day for the app in the U.S. would be Jan. 19, 2025. This date was stipulated when the law was passed back in April of 2024, but there are a number of ways that it could be avoided. The ban only takes effect if TikTok can't find a buyer for its U.S. app, and if the U.S. government feels like meaningful progress is being made toward a sale, they have the ability to extend the deadline by up to 90 days. If a sale goes through, then the ban is off completely.

Additionally, TikTok's owner ByteDance sued over the ban saying that it was illegal, and that case is now before the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court could simply decide that the ban is unconstitutional, and that would make the ban null and void.

Even if the Supreme Court upholds the law, though, there are still some ways that Donald Trump, who will become president the day after the ban is supposed to go into effect, could stop it.

He could tell his Attorney General not to enforce the law, making it so that the law was on the books but fundamentally did nothing. That might be difficult because companies working with TikTok would still be in violation of the law, even though it wasn't being enforced.

He could also work with Congress to facilitate a repeal of the law, but that would be difficult given the broad bipartisan consensus that supported it quite recently.

What's more, he could also declare that the law no longer applies, claiming it is under his decision-making authority to determine whether TikTok is in violation of the law as written or not. He could also try to facilitate a sale that would make the ban unnecessary. There are plenty of interested buyers, but the question has long been whether China would allow for a sale, given that the company's algorithm is so proprietary.

Trump has recently suggested that he wants to find a way to keep TikTok in the U.S., in large part because he seems to understand how popular the app is with millions of Americans. So, while Jan. 19 is a day that many TikTok users are dreading, it's also far from a given that the app will be gone after that day. The law may go into effect, but even if it does, the app's future remains uncertain.