TikTok upheld a law that would ban the popular social media platform in the U.S. if it isn’t sold by its Chinese parent company by Jan. 19. Photo: Gabby Jones/Bloomberg via Getty Images
TikTok could disappear for U.S. users as soon as this Sunday if a ban — even a short one — goes into effect.
Why it matters: The future of the wildly popular app is in question after the Supreme Court on Friday upheld a law to ban the app if it wasn’t sold by its Chinese parent company by Jan. 19.
The latest: “The Supreme Court decision was expected, and everyone must respect it,” President-elect Trump wrote on Truth Social Friday. “My decision on TikTok will be made in the not too distant future, but I must have time to review the situation.”
- “Given the sheer fact of timing, this Administration recognizes that actions to implement the law simply must fall to the next Administration, which takes office on Monday,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement Friday.
- “TikTok should remain available to Americans, but simply under American ownership or other ownership that addresses the national security concerns identified by Congress in developing this law,” Jean-Pierre said.
What could happen with TikTok ban Sunday
State of play: The app could quickly go dark if Oracle decides to immediately stop hosting TikTok’s massive video library Sunday, Axios’ Angrej Singh reports.
- TikTok will also not be accessible from an internet browser in the U.S. unless a user employs a VPN, which encrypts internet traffic and hides the user’s IP address.
- VPNs are easily attainable online, but a user may not be able to download updates if their app store account is tied to the U.S.
How to download a TikTok video
Zoom in: Here are the directions from TikTok on how to save videos:
- In the TikTok app, go to the video you’d like to download.
- Tap the Share button on the side of the video.
- Tap Save video.
Yes, but: If you don’t have the option to save a video on TikTok, this means the creator doesn’t allow it, the company says.
Save TikTok videos with apps, Google Chrome extension
What we’re watching: Third-party apps to save TikTok videos have been growing in popularity and include SaveTok, TikDown, TokSave, TikSave, TikPro and more.
- To download videos on your computer, TikTok Downloader is one Google Chrome extension.
- Another option, albeit more time-consuming, is to make screen recordings of videos you want to save.
TikTok data: How to download your data
Between the lines: There’s a way to request a copy of your TikTok data, which may include “but is not limited to your username, watch video history, comment history and privacy settings,” TikTok says.
Here’s how to request your TikTok data:
- In the TikTok app, tap Profile at the bottom.
- Tap the Menu ☰ button at the top, then tap Settings and privacy.
- Tap Account.
- Tap Download your data.
- Choose which information you want to include in your file to download and select a file format.
- Tap Request data.
Zoom out: “After you submit your request, we’ll create a file of your data that you can download from the download data tab,” TikTok says.
- “We’ll notify you in the app when it’s ready to download. Please note that it may take a few days to prepare the file.”
RedNote, YouTube, Lemon 8: TikTok alternatives
Reality check: Some TikTok users and creators are already flocking to other social media apps, based on Axios’ review of some newly trending apps.
- Xiaohongshu, also known as RedNote in English, is a short-form video app that has surged to the first place in the social networking category in the U.S. Apple app store. It also has a mix of video and live-streaming features.
- YouTube with its YouTube Shorts and Instagram with its Reels. Some users have been posting TikTok content to both of these platforms.
- Lemon8, which has the same owner as TikTok and is being promoted by the company as a potential alternative for users, features a mix of Instagram-like photo sharing and TikTok-style short videos.
- This app and other ByteDance apps would be part of the ban.
Axios’ Angrej Singh contributed to this report.
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