Wia dis foto come from, Getty Images
On Sunday, 19 January, TikTok go officially dey banned for di US.
Dis na as di US Supreme Court don uphold one law wey ban TikTok nationwide, unless dia China-based parent company ByteDance, sell di platform by Sunday.
TikTok bin challenge di law, as e argue say e go violate free speech protections for di app wey get more dan 170 million users for US.
But di kontri highest court bin altogeda reject di argument, wey mean say TikTok gatz now find any approved buyer for di US version of di app or face removal from app stores and web hosting services.
White House tok say di implementation of di law go fall for di hand of di incoming President Donald Trump administration, wey go take ova office on Monday.
Trump bin previously tok say im go find way to save di app.
Both Democrat and Republican lawmakers bin vote to ban di video-sharing app last year, sake of concerns about its links to di Chinese government.
TikTok don repeatedly tok say dem no dey share information wit Beijing.
Di law give TikTok owner, ByteDance, until 19 January to sell di US version of di platform to a neutral party to avoid outright ban.
Dis go mean say from Sunday, Apple and Google no go offer di app to new users or provide any security updates to current users – wey go make am non-existent eventually.
ByteDance don vow say im no go sell TikTok.
Wetin Supreme Court judges tok
Di Supreme Court pass dia judgement and no follow divided opinions, say di law no violate US Constitution First Amendment protection against government abridgment of free speech.
Di justices agree wit di lower court decision wey uphold di measure afta ByteDance challenge am.
“Doubt no dey say for more dan 170 million Americans, TikTok dey offer correct and expansive outlet for expression, means of engagement, and source of community,” di Supreme Court said.
“But Congress don determine say make dem sell am off dey necessary to address dia well-supported national security concerns wey link to TikTok data collection practices and relationship wit foreign adversary.”
Afta di Supreme Court ruling, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre for statement tok say, President Joe Biden position on TikTok don dey clear for months: “Make TikTok remain available to Americans, but simply under American ownership or oda ownership wey go address di national security concerns wey Congress identify as dem dey develop dis law.”
Who wan ban TikTok for America and why?
US officials and lawmakers bin accuse ByteDance say e get links wit di Chinese government.
Many pipo don cite national security concerns ova di app, as dem claim say Beijing fit force am to hand ova di data of im about 170 million US users.
Di US Justice Department tok say bicos of dia Chinese parent company, and access to data on American users, TikTok pose “a national-security threat of immense depth and scale”.
For April 2024, US Congress bin pass one bill, wey President Joe Biden bin sign into law. E give ByteDance nine months to find one US-approved buyer or see say TikTok go dey shut down across di US.
TikTok and ByteDance deny say dem no get any links to di Chinese government, or say dem go hand ova any data give di goment.
Trump go still fit save di app?
Wia dis foto come from, Getty Images
Trump one time fit don reason to ban TikTok – but e repeatedly tok am during 2024 election say now im firmly dey against di law, and e try to delay am, but e fail.
Despite di court ruling, for one interview wit CNN, e insist say TikTok future dey im hand – even though e no tok wetin im decision on di future of di social media platform go be.
On social media, e tok say im next step fit take some time to work out.
“Di Supreme Court decision dey expected, and everyone must respect am,” e write.
“I go make my decision on TikTok soon, but I must get time to review di situation.”
Pipo go still fit use TikTok even if e dey banned?
Wia dis foto come from, Getty Images
If Trump no go fit unban TikTok, then wetin go happun?
Di most likely way di US go fit enforce di ban na to order app stores make dem make am unavailable for download for dat region.
But di DoJ don tok say di actual process of implementing di law – and making sure firms dey compliant – go be “a process wey play out over time”.
If pipo no go fit use legitimate means to access TikTok through digital storefronts, e no go affect those wey already get di app for dia fones.
But since di app most likely no go dey publicly available anymore, dem no go fit deliver new updates to users for US – and dat go make di app buggier and, eventually, unusable.
Not to mention say dem dey provide many updates to fix security holes in apps, so if TikTok stop to get updates, dat fit present hackers wit millions of devices to target.
Oda kontris wey don ban TikTok
Dem don already ban TikTok for India, wey be one of di app largest markets bifor dem ban am for June 2020.
Authorities for Iran, Nepal, Afghanistan and Somalia bin also compulsory ban on di app.
UK government and Parliament ban TikTok from staff work devices for 2023, also di European Commission.
BBC bin also advise staff to delete TikTok from corporate phones sake of security fears.