TikTok has gone dark in the US, hours before a new law banning the platform was due to come into effect. App users were hit with a message saying a law banning TikTok had been enacted, meaning “you can’t use TikTok for now”.
The message apologised for TikTok not being available, but said “we are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office. Please stay tuned!”
The hugely popular social media platform, which boasts 170 million American users, was banned over the company’s ties to the Chinese government – ties Bytedance, the parent company that owns TikTok, vehemently denies.
The Supreme Court has consistently upheld the nationwide ban, signed into law by outgoing President Joe Biden last April, and gave a deadline of January 19 for it to be sold to an approved US buyer, or else be cancelled forever.
Biden said he would leave the issue to his successor, Donald Trump, who has vowed to “save TikTok”. On Saturday, Trump said he will “most likely” give the platform 90 days to continue operating when he takes office on Monday.
“The 90-day extension is something that will be most likely done, because it’s appropriate,” Trump told NBC News on Saturday. “If I decide to do that, I’ll probably announce it on Monday.”
The viral video-sharing app had been removed from both Apple and Google’s US app stores, users reported, while TikTok.com was not showing videos at all.
US app stores could be slapped with hefty fines if they continue offering TikTok to US users past the ByteDance’s divestment deadline. Fines could climb up to $5,000 (around £4,000) per user, with Republican Senator Tom Cotton warning on X on Thursday that “penalties for companies like Apple and Google could run as high as $850 billion”.
TikTok has argued that the law violates free speech protections for its 170 million users in the country. At every turn, the Supreme Court has clarified the law does not violate the apps’ or users’ First Amendment rights.
After the ruling, TikTok’s chief executive, Shou Zi Chew, appealed to Trump, thanking him for his “commitment to work with us to find a solution.” Mr Chew is expected to attend Trump’s inauguration on Monday.
In the last hours of the platform’s life in the US, content creators had been posting emotional videos bidding farewell to their thousands – in some cases millions – of followers.
American influencer and makeup artist James Charles, who visited Scotland for his UK and Ireland tour just a few months ago, cried to his 40million followers during his final post on the platform which catapulted him to fame.
“I know it’s embarrassing to cry about an app getting banned but… I’m just so sad,” Charles tearfully told his fans. “I really love this app and this platform I’ve been able to build and this community we have…
“It feels dystopian and unreal that it could be going away in a couple of hours… I really hope something turns around… I hope this isn’t ‘goodbye’ but a ‘see you later'”.
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