TikTok's ban in the United States is looking ever more likely following repeated concerns over national security, as it is now only days before the final decision has to be made in court over the social media app's future.
Following an explosion of popularity in 2018, short form video content platform TikTok has become one of the largest social media apps in the world alongside Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.
It's snappy videos and algorithmic recommendations have led to vast audience engagement, including claims that it only takes just 35 minutes to become addicted to the app, and with over 2,000,000,000 active monthly users worldwide it's hard to see where TikTok's popularity could stop.
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That was, at least, before the United States government proposed legislation that would ban the distribution of the app in America over concerns that it's owner ByteDance has connections with the Chinese government.
American officials have ordered Bytedance to divest control and sell TikTok to owners unconnected to a 'foreign adversary' or face expulsion from US markets, and they only have until January 19 to reach a decision.
However, as reported by the BBC, resistance from ByteDance and an increased focus on national security concerns in the court case have many predicting that the ban indeed will go through, as TikTok could see a blackout in one of its biggest markets.
Justice department lawyer Elizabeth B Prelogar has emphasized that TikTok could be used by China "at any time to harm the United States," and thus it needs to be considered a clear security risk to the country.
TikTok legal representation has fired back against this claim, denying any influence from the Chinese Communist Party and claiming that the ban infringes on the First Amendment rights of its American userbase.
This is in opposition to the wishes of president-elect Donald Trump too, who has urged the court to delay their final decision until after he is inaugurated in order to reach a 'political solution' to the matter.
That continues to look unlikely as we near the proposed deadline, although Prelogar has revealed that "nothing permanent" has to happen on January 19, and that the situation is akin to a "game of chicken" where the US will not "blink first."
Don't expect the lights to turn off on TikTok the minute the clock strikes midnight on the day of deadline then, as even if it is reached without agreement, the Justice department will still give time and consideration for a potential sale to be agreed or reached by ByteDance - especially once Trump becomes president.
One thing to consider in light of the proposed ban is that the social media app is not going to be entirely prohibited on US soil. Instead, the government will simply require companies like Apple and Google to remove it from their app stores and prevent any new updates.
That means that you'll still be able to access TikTok though its web page and keep the app on your phone if you already have it installed, although key analysts predict that the lack of native app support would quell interest over time.