TikTok is on the brink of a potential ban in the United States. The decision of the Supreme Court that had a hearing on January 10th will determine whether the Chinese-owned app remains operational or faces removal from app stores. If the court allows the law to stand without intervention, TikTok could be forced off platforms by January 19th unless ByteDance, its parent company, finally agrees to sell it.

TikTok and its creators argue the legislation stifles free speech, while the government maintains it is a necessary measure to protect national security.

The stakes are high for ByteDance, which has limited options:

Persuade the Supreme Court to invalidate or delay the law.
Rely on outgoing President Joe Biden to extend the timeline for divestiture.
Hope President-elect Donald Trump intervenes after his inauguration.
Comply with Congress by selling TikTok or transferring majority ownership to non-Chinese entities.

The Supreme Court’s approach remains uncertain, especially as the case pits two vital principles—national security and free speech—against each other.

Trump’s Role and China’s Response

President-elect Trump’s position could prove pivotal. Trump has previously shown support for TikTok and could instruct the DOJ (Department of Justice) to halt enforcement of the law or negotiate a sale. However, any action would require cooperation from China, which has final authority over ByteDance’s operations.

China has been vocal in its opposition to the divestiture mandate. Last year, a foreign ministry spokesperson labeled the measure as “bullying behavior” and a blow to international economic confidence. ByteDance’s refusal to sell TikTok without its algorithm—classified as sensitive technology—complicates potential deals.

Who Might Acquire TikTok?

If China consents to a sale, prospective buyers face antitrust scrutiny. Companies like Walmart, Oracle, and Project Liberty have expressed interest. Project Liberty, spearheaded by billionaire Frank McCourt, seeks to reimagine TikTok with a transparent recommendation system, excluding the algorithm, as The Verge reports. McCourt framed the group’s bid as a compromise that could satisfy both US and Chinese concerns.

Bloomberg reports that “under one scenario that’s been discussed by the Chinese government, Musk’s X — the former Twitter — would take control of TikTok US and run the businesses together.”

How to Make Sure Your Own Content Is Backed Up: 4K Tokkit

TikTok users are responding to the app’s potential ban with humor, launching a trend that bids farewell to their so-called “personal Chinese spy.” The satirizes concerns over the app’s security risks and features users expressing gratitude to their imaginary “spy” for tailoring their For You page with engaging content. Some even joke that they’d prefer sharing their data with the Chinese government over switching to platforms like Instagram Reels or YouTube Shorts.

All jokes aside, and regardless of TikTok’s faith, having your own or your favorite videos backed up would be a wise step. 4K Tokkit, a TikTok downloader and viewer, makes it easy to save videos from your account, favorite creators, as well as trending hashtags and sounds directly to your computer.

Here’s how to back up TikTok content with 4K Tokkit:

Visit the official 4K Download website and download the 4K Tokkit app.
Install the application on your computer (available for Windows, macOS, and Linux).
Launch 4K Tokkit and sign in to your TikTok account if needed. This step ensures access to content that may otherwise require authentication, such as downloading your own account .

Use the search bar in 4K Tokkit to find the specific TikTok content you want to download.

You can search by:

Username: Back up all videos from a specific creator.
Hashtags: Download trending videos under a particular hashtag.
Sounds: Save videos that use a specific audio track.

Once you’ve located the content, choose the videos you want to back up. You can also save Liked videos (as long as they’re publicly visible).

Click the Download button to start backing up TikTok content.
The videos will be saved to your selected folder, organized by creator or hashtag for easy access.

For ongoing backups, use the Auto-Download feature to save new videos automatically as they are uploaded by creators or added to hashtags you follow.

7. Once backed up, you can view, organize, or share the content from your local storage without worrying about losing access due to app bans or other restrictions.

By using 4K Tokkit, you ensure that your favorite TikTok videos remain safe and accessible no matter what changes occur on the platform.

Not Just TikTok Will Be Banned But All ByteDance-Owned Apps Too

While TikTok is the primary target of the effort to restrict foreign-owned apps, the broad language of the proposed bill could spell trouble for ByteDance’s entire portfolio of apps, including the widely-used video editor CapCut and other less popular apps.

The bill currently under discussion could extend restrictions to all apps "operated, directly or indirectly" by companies based in countries deemed adversaries, such as China. This would potentially include:

CapCut: A favorite for video editing among content creators.
Hypic: ByteDance’s photo editing tool.
Lemon8: A Pinterest-style app gaining traction.
Gauth: An AI-powered homework assistance app.
SoundOn: A music distribution platform for artists to manage royalties and share tracks on TikTok and other platforms.

If the bill passes, ByteDance might be forced to sell these apps to U.S.-based companies to keep them operational in the country—a move TikTok has resisted.