TikTok shuts down in US hours before ban due to come in

TikTok went offline in the United States on Saturday night, just hours before a new law banning the platform was set to take effect.

A message displayed on the app for US users stated that the law banning TikTok had been enacted and added that “you can’t use TikTok for now.” 

The message also expressed hope for a resolution, saying, “We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office.”

The shutdown follows TikTok’s earlier warning that it would “go dark” on Sunday unless the Biden administration provided assurances that the ban would not be enforced. 

President-elect Donald Trump has hinted at granting the platform a 90-day reprieve after his inauguration on Monday. “The 90-day extension is something that will be most likely done, because it’s appropriate,” Trump said in an NBC interview on Saturday, adding, “If I decide to do that, I’ll probably announce it on Monday.”

Users have reported the app being removed from both Apple’s and Google’s US app stores, while TikTok’s website has stopped displaying videos.

The White House has left the matter for the incoming administration to address. Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated, “We see no reason for TikTok or other companies to take actions in the next few days before the Trump administration takes office on Monday.”

On Friday, the Supreme Court upheld a law passed in April last year, mandating TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to sell the platform by Sunday or face a ban. TikTok has argued that the law infringes on free speech protections for its 170 million US users.

Following the ruling, TikTok’s CEO, Shou Zi Chew, appealed to Trump, thanking him for his “commitment to work with us to find a solution.” Chew is also expected to attend Trump’s inauguration on Monday.

In the hours leading to the shutdown, TikTok creators posted farewell videos. Nicole Bloomgarden told the BBC that losing TikTok would significantly impact her income, while Erika Thompson described the potential loss of educational content on the platform as “the biggest loss” for the community.

TikTok users encountered a message on Saturday stating that the law would “force us to make our services temporarily unavailable. We’re working to restore our service in the U.S. as soon as possible.”

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