Leaders at Oracle , the main cloud computing provider for TikTok's U.S. operations, have told some staff to prepare to shut down servers that host U.S. TikTok data as soon as 9 p.m. ET on Saturday (0200 GMT on Sunday) in advance of a U.

The U.S. Treasury Department on Friday imposed sanctions on alleged hacker Yin Kecheng and cybersecurity company Sichuan Juxinhe Network Technology Co., accusing both of being involved in a series of hacks against American telecom companies.

Oracle (NYSE: ORCL), the cloud provider for TikToks U.S. operations, has reportedly instructed staff to prepare for shutting down servers hosting TikToks U.S. data. According to The Information, the shutdown could occur

Experts have indicated that common workarounds, such as VPNs, may not be effective due to the app's ability to detect user locations through geolocation data.

But while signing the order, Trump suggested that the United States government should be a half owner of TikTok's U.S. business in return for keeping the app alive. He warned that he could impose tariffs on China if Beijing failed to approve a U.S. deal with TikTok.

TikTok and its Chinese parent company are facing off against the Justice Department Friday in a hearing before the Supreme Court that will help determine the fate of the popular social media app.

TikTok has announced that it will cease operations in the U.S. on Sunday, unless the Biden administration provides assurances to tech giants.

TikTok is reportedly back online for many US users after the social media app went dark early Sunday when a new law banning the app took effect at midnight. The Chinese-owned service welcomed users back after a 12-hour shutdown,

In 2020, Trump issued executive orders banning dealings with ByteDance and the owners of the Chinese messaging app WeChat. Courts ended up blocking the orders, but less than a year ago Congress overwhelmingly passed a law citing national security concerns to ban TikTok unless ByteDance sold it to an approved buyer.

Starting in 2017, when the Chinese social video app merged with its competitor Musical.ly, TikTok has grown from a niche teen app into a global trendsetter. While, of course, also emerging as a potential national security threat, according to U.S. officials.

TikTok began going dark for US users late Saturday night, a little more than an hour before a new law banning the app was set to take effect.