TikTok is preparing to shut down the U.S. version of its app Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025, when a law mandating its divestiture or removal from American app stores goes into effect.

This is reported by The Information, a Silicon Valley publication behind a paywall, which cites anonymous sources. Unless the Supreme Court intervenes, users that open TikTok will see a message linking to information about the ban. That means even current users won’t be able to access the app, as people were initially expecting. The bold move may also ensure maximum leverage in negotiations, while also allowing users to download their data.

Until the news of an immediate shutdown broke, the presumption had been that existing users would still have access to TikTok until it degraded beyond usability due to lack of upgrades.