TikTok users in the United States are bracing for the looming ban of the Chinese-owned app.

These self-acclaimed “TikTok refugees” have started flocking to another Chinese social media platform known as REDnote.

Despite the US Supreme Court upholding a law to ban the app on national security grounds, president-elect Donald Trump has said he will decide TikTok’s future in the US.

This is what we know about the possible ban and what to expect.

Why could the US ban TikTok?

Politicians in the US have emphasised national security concerns around TikTok and its 170 million American users.

The main argument is that China could use TikTok to gain data on millions of Americans on the app, and use the information for harassment, recruitment and espionage.

Last year, the US Congress passed a law which required TikTok’s China-based parent company ByteDance to sell the social media platform.

Legislation introduced by President Joe Biden stipulated that unless TikTok’s Chinese-based owner ByteDance sold the US version of the app, it would be outlawed in America.

While it was appealed by the parent company, the Supreme Court upheld the law on Friday, local time, which could come into effect on Sunday.

The Supreme Court said TikTok’s “scale and susceptibility to foreign adversary control, together with the vast swaths of sensitive data the platform collects” justifies the “differential treatment to address the government’s national security concerns”.

Could Donald Trump stop the TikTok ban?

But now, with Trump set to take office on Monday, Mr Biden has said he would leave the ban’s enforcement to the new leader.

Trump posted on Truth Social that “in the not too-distant future” he will decide the app’s fate.

“The Supreme Court decision was expected, and everyone must respect it. My decision on TikTok will be made in the not too-distant future, but I must have time to review the situation,” he said, adding: “Stay tuned!”

Will TikTok actually be banned in the US?

The simple answer is we don’t really know how the ban would actually work and what Trump will do.

A lawyer representing TikTok told the Supreme Court justices last week that the app will “go dark” on January 19 if the law isn’t struck down.

What that will actually look like in practice is unclear, but the law will stop app stores from offering TikTok from Sunday.

Internet hosting services also will be prohibited from hosting TikTok.

While new users won’t be able to download the app, users who already have it downloaded on their phone should continue to have access to TikTok.

But the TikTok’s disappearance from app stores means it won’t be able to send updates and fix bugs on the app —eventually making it unworkable.

Who owns TikTok?

TikTok is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, based in Beijing.

Its headquarters is in the city’s north-western Haidian district, but it also has dual headquarters in Singapore and Los Angeles.

ByteDance was founded in China by entrepreneur Zhang Yimin in 2012, who was declared China’s richest person in October last year.

ByteDance launched a popular video sharing app called Douyin which inspired the spin off version for foreign audiences called TikTok.

What does this mean for Australian users?

If Americans can no longer use TikTok, Australians won’t get new uploads from certain creators, and Australian influencers, artists and brands would lose their US audience.

When the ban was first discussed in early 2024, the Coalition called for Australia to do the same, citing Chinese interference.

No serious stance has been taken on it by the Albanese government, but it has been banned from the phones of officials since 2020.

Why are people downloading REDnote?

REDnote, or Xiaohongshu, is essentially a back-up for American users who are anticipating the TikTok ban.

It’s owned by Shanghai-based Xingyin Information Technology.

American users have called for people to download REDnote as a form of protest against the decision to ban TikTok.

What’s next?

Trump’s team has vowed to keep the app alive in the US if there is a viable deal on the table.

With ByteDance vowing not to sell the US version of the app to a neutral party, all eyes are on the president-elect and what he will do next.