TikTok has announced it may cease operations in the United States on Sunday, January 19th, following a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that upheld legislation banning the app unless its Chinese owner agrees to sell it.

The ruling could affect approximately 170 million American users of the video-sharing platform.

The Supreme Court's decision stated that the ban does not violate rights to freedom of expression and cites legitimate national security concerns due to the Chinese ownership of TikTok.

The court emphasized that while TikTok offers significant avenues for expression and engagement to millions across the U.S., Congress determined that its sale is necessary to address well-supported security concerns, particularly with regards to data collection practices and ties with a foreign adversary.

President Donald Trump, at the time of the ruling, insisted that the decision respecting the ban must be adhered to but noted that he would need 'time' to decide on enforcement.

Trump additionally discussed TikTok with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday.

He expressed on his social media platform, Truth Social, that while the court's decision was expected and must be respected, he would soon decide on TikTok's fate after a thorough review of the situation.

The outgoing administration of President Joe Biden indicated that the responsibility to execute the law rests with Trump.

In the aftermath of the court's ruling, TikTok's CEO Shou Zi Chew expressed gratitude to President Trump for his commitment to seeking a resolution, noting Trump’s understanding of the platform.

TikTok has actively lobbied against the enforcement of this legislation, and its CEO is expected to attend Trump's inauguration on Monday.

The law mandates that Apple and Google remove TikTok from their app stores, halting new downloads, with potential fines of up to $5,000 per user still accessing the app.

Oracle, which hosts TikTok's servers, would also be legally obliged to enforce the ban.

None of these companies have responded to requests for comments.

The law allows for a 90-day delay if the White House demonstrates progress toward a viable agreement.

However, ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, has firmly rejected any sale.

Frank McCourt, former owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, has offered to purchase TikTok's U.S. operations and expressed readiness to collaborate with both the company and President Trump to finalize the transaction.

Canadian investor Kevin O'Leary, involved in the offer, disclosed to Fox News that ByteDance was offered $20 billion for TikTok's U.S. operations but acknowledged the legal uncertainty surrounding the issue.

There's speculation about whether an executive order from Trump could override the law.

Adam Kovacevich, CEO of the tech industry group Chamber of Progress, remarked that Congress designed the legislation to be nearly immune to presidential intervention.

Sarah Kreps, a law professor at Cornell University, explained that an executive order conflicting with an existing law would likely be nullified by the courts.

Should TikTok be forced to shut down, its U.S. competitors are expected to benefit.

As a precautionary measure, thousands of concerned TikTok users have turned to a Chinese app dubbed 'Xiaohongshu,' meaning 'Little Red Book,' similar to Instagram.

Dubbed 'Red Note' by its American users, the app was this week's most downloaded app on the Apple Store in the United States.