Jan 15 (Reuters) - TikTok plans to shut its app for U.S.

users from Sunday, when a federal ban on the social media app

could come into effect, unless the Supreme Court moves to block

it, sources familiar with the matter said.

The outcome of the shutdown would be different from that

mandated by the law. The law would mandate a ban only on new

TikTok downloads on Apple ( AAPL ) or Google app

stores, while existing users could continue using it for some

time.

Under TikTok's plan, people attempting to open the app will

see a pop-up message directing them to a website with

information about the ban, the sources said, requesting

anonymity as the matter is not public.

TikTok also plans to give users the option to download all

their data so that they can take a record of their personal,

they said.

TikTok and its Chinese parent ByteDance did not immediately

respond to Reuters requests for comments.

The Information first reported the news.

President Joe Biden had in April last year signed a law

requiring Bytedance to sell its U.S. assets by Jan. 19, 2025 or

face a nationwide ban.

The companies have sought, at the very least, a delay in the

implementation of the law, which they say violates the U.S.

Constitution's First Amendment protection against government

abridgment of free speech.

TikTok said in a court filing last month it estimates

one-third of the 170 million Americans using its app would stop

accessing the platform if the ban lasts a month.

(Reporting by Disha Mishra in Bengaluru; Editing by Mrigank

Dhaniwala and Arun Koyyur)