Lisa Monaco, the deputy attorney general, said in a statement after the Supreme Court’s ruling that the process would play out “over time.” The White House press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, said that enforcing the law would fall to the incoming Trump administration, which takes office on Monday.
TikTok said that those comments were not enough to satisfy other companies that they would not run afoul of the law if they continued to distribute and maintain the app. Those companies could face penalties as high as $5,000 for each TikTok user who accesses the app inside the United States after the ban takes effect.
“The statements issued today by both the Biden White House and the Department of Justice have failed to provide the necessary clarity and assurance to the service providers that are integral to maintaining TikTok’s availability to over 170 million Americans,” the company said.
The loss of that user base would be significant, but not the biggest TikTok has suffered. In 2020, it was banned in India, where it had 200 million users. As in the United States, the authorities in India cited national security concerns for their decision against TikTok.
-President-elect Donald J. Trump has indicated his support for TikTok, but how his administration will proceed on the matter is unclear. He said on social media that the Supreme Court ruling must be respected.
“My decision on TikTok will be made in the not too distant future,” Mr. Trump said, “but I must have time to review the situation.”
