TikTok has gone offline in the United States, just hours before a new law banning the platform was set to take effect. The app displayed a message for U.S. users, stating that the law had been enacted, which meant they could not access the platform. The message expressed hope that President Donald Trump would work on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he took office, as he had previously indicated a 90-day reprieve for the platform.
This move follows a warning from TikTok that it would “go dark” unless the outgoing Biden administration provided assurances that the ban would not be enforced. The ban, which was passed by Congress in April last year, was set to go into effect by Sunday unless ByteDance, TikTok’s China-based parent company, sold the app. However, the sale did not happen, and the law remained in place.
As part of the developments, TikTok was removed from both Apple and Google’s U.S. app stores, and users reported that TikTok’s website, TikTok.com, was no longer showing videos. The app’s temporary removal sparked significant concern among its 170 million users in the U.S., including creators who would face substantial financial losses. Content creator Nicole Bloomgarden, for instance, stated that the loss of TikTok would lead to a major salary cut, while Erika Thompson, another user, expressed sadness over the potential loss of educational content shared on the platform.
The Supreme Court had upheld the law banning TikTok on Friday, and the White House confirmed that any further action regarding the ban would fall to the incoming administration. Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said it was up to President Trump’s team to take action once he took office on Monday. Trump, however, had previously suggested he would likely grant a 90-day extension for TikTok.
In response to the ruling, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew expressed his gratitude to President Trump for his commitment to working on a solution, and he is expected to attend Trump’s inauguration on Monday. In the meantime, the platform stated that it was working to restore service in the U.S. as soon as possible.
The impending ban on TikTok has raised concerns over freedom of speech and the broader implications for U.S.-China relations. As both sides continue to negotiate, the future of TikTok in the U.S. remains uncertain.
