The switch is flipped on the US ban on TikTok. TikTok’s app stopped working and was removed from the App Store and Google Play on Saturday evening, just hours before the ban was scheduled to take effect on January 19.
People who have already installed the app are greeted with a pop-up window. “Sorry, TikTok is not available at the moment,” he says. “A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the United States. Unfortunately, this means you cannot use TikTok at this time. We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to restore TikTok a once he takes office. Please stay tuned.”
The notice gives the option to close the app or “learn more”, which directs users to TikTok’s website, which has similar language. Existing users can also download their data from the website. ByteDance’s popular video editing app, CapCut, is also no longer available in the United States.
Continuation of the passage In accordance with President Biden’s “Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Apps Act,” TikTok had six months to divest from Chinese parent company ByteDance. The company chose to fight the law, take a case to the Supreme Court claiming his First Amendment rights were violated by the action. The High Court, having a limited time to examine the case, unanimously ruled against the application.
As part of the banthe Apple App Store, Google Play Store, and any other app marketplace must remove TikTok or face a $5,000 fine for each user in the United States who downloads the app. White House officials said earlier in the week that the ban would not be applied during the final hours of President Joe Biden’s term, but TikTok said that the government had “failed to provide necessary clarity and assurance to service providers who are integral to maintaining TikTok’s availability to more than 170 million Americans.”
Multiple attempts were made to ban TikTok in the United States on espionage concernsbut this is the first time we’ve been stuck, at least temporarily. President-elect Donald Trump was a major supporter of a ban during his first term and, ironically, it is TikTok’s only hope for survival after his second inauguration. Earlier Saturday, Trump told NBC News that he would “most likely” grant the company a 90-day extension after he takes office.
If extended, it’s unclear what kind of arrangement the company could make to stay in the U.S. after all. Perplexity AI reportedly submitted an offer merge with TikTok’s operations in the United States, CNBC reported. Others, including investor Kevin O’Leary (of Shark tank fame) also have makes proposals or expresses interest in purchasing the service.
Additional reporting by Karissa Bell.
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