Late Saturday night, TikTok, the popular video-sharing app with over 170 million American users, announced it would go offline due to a national ban set to take effect on January 19.
As soon as users opened the app, they were greeted with a message explaining the service would be “temporarily unavailable.” The company assured users they are actively working to restore the app in the U.S.
“We regret that a U.S. law banning TikTok will take effect on January 19 and force us to make our services temporarily unavailable,” TikTok stated. “We’re working to restore our service in the U.S. as soon as possible, and we appreciate your support. Please stay tuned.”
Then, around 10:30 p.m. EST, the app showed a message saying, “Sorry, TikTok isn’t available right now.”
It further read: “A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now. We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated he will work…”
The only other option that the app gives you is either to learn more information or close it.
TikTok’s Fate Rests in Trump’s Hands
The app’s future now hinges on President-elect Donald Trump, who returns to the White House Monday. Trump has pledged to “save” TikTok, crediting the platform for helping him win the November election.
Speaking to NBC News on Saturday, Trump said he is considering giving TikTok a 90-day extension to negotiate a deal. “We have to look at it carefully,” he said. “It’s a very big situation.”
The shutdown follows a Supreme Court ruling that upheld Congress’s demand for ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, to divest its U.S. stake by January 19 or face a national ban. ByteDance argued the law was unconstitutional but ultimately lost its legal battle.
National Security Concerns Trigger Ban
TikTok’s downfall stems from bipartisan support in Congress to ban the app over alleged national security risks. Lawmakers feared ByteDance’s ties to China could expose American data to foreign surveillance.
Chinese officials vowed to block any forced divestiture, while TikTok and ByteDance repeatedly claimed the app was not for sale.
Penalties for Tech Giants
The new law also targets tech companies facilitating TikTok’s presence in the U.S. Google and Apple must remove TikTok from their app stores or face fines of $5,000 per user. Oracle, which provides cloud support for TikTok, could also be held liable.
