The future of TikTok hangs in the balance this week as the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) prepares to issue a verdict on banning the platform. For months, speculation has been rising about what will become of the popular content creation app that has launched many viral videos and created entire careers.

TikTok’s U.S. operations might soon have a new owner - Elon Musk. Chinese officials are said to be considering allowing the sale of the social network to the billionaire.

Americans are going to lose access to TikTok in less than a week, unless China green-lights a sale to what Congress has deemed a non-adversary of the United States — something China is unlikely to do but might.

As TikTok faces a potential shutdown in the United States on January 19 because of security concerns over its Chinese ownership, many users are exploring American-owned alternatives to fill the void in the social media landscape.

Furious at the prospect of a US government ban on social media platform TikTok, American users have flocked to another Chinese-owned app in droves, many with a defiant message: "Take my data!"