TikTok stopped working in the United States late on Saturday and disappeared from Apple and Google app stores ahead of a law that takes effect on Sunday requiring the shutdown of the platform used by 170 million Americans.
President-elect Donald Trump has said he would “most likely” give TikTok a 90-day reprieve from the ban after he takes office on Monday, a promise TikTok cited in a notice posted to users on the app.
“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 that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office. Please stay tuned,” the message notified users trying to use the app late on Saturday night.
Even if temporary, the unprecedented shutdown of TikTok, owned by China’s ByteDance, is set to have a wide-ranging impact on U.S.-China relations, U.S. domestic politics, the social media marketplace and millions of Americans who depend on the app economically and culturally.
The United States has never banned a major social media platform. The law passed overwhelmingly by Congress gives the incoming Trump administration sweeping authority to ban or seek the sale of other Chinese-owned apps.
Other apps owned by ByteDance, including video editing app CapCut and lifestyle social app Lemon8, were also offline and unavailable in U.S. app stores as of late Saturday.
“The 90-day extension is something that will be most likely done, because it’s appropriate,” Trump told NBC. “If I decide to do that, I’ll probably announce it on Monday.”
It was not clear if any U.S. users could still access the app, but it was no longer working for many users, and people seeking to access it through a web application were met with the same message that TikTok was no longer working.
TikTok, which has captivated nearly half of all Americans, powered small businesses and shaped online culture, warned on Friday it would go dark in the U.S. on Sunday unless President Joe Biden’s administration provided assurances to companies such as Apple and Google that they will not face enforcement actions when a ban takes effect.
https://tvpworld.com/84594606/tiktok-shuts-down-in-us
The headline should really say – The US shuts down Chinese spyware used by millions of idiots in the US.
Not only idiots in the US…
The idiots are worlwide unfortunately.
And… it’s back.
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10160306718390443&set=a.10150153950690443
Nothing like a government-owned social media app to get your propaganda across.
TikTok Flickers Back to Life After Trump Says He Will Stall a Ban
Some users saw the social media app come back online on Sunday, following a shutdown when a federal law went into effect requiring a sale or ban.
TikTok flickered back to life in the United States on Sunday after President-elect Donald J. Trump said that he would issue an executive order to stall a federal ban of the app.
The abrupt shift came after just hours after major app stores removed the popular social media site and it stopped operating for U.S. users. The company said in a post on X that in “agreement with our service providers, TikTok is in the process of restoring service.”
Mr. Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Sunday morning that he would “issue an executive order on Monday to extend the period of time before the law’s prohibitions take effect, so that we can make a deal to protect our national security.”
The ban stems from a 2024 law that requires app stores and cloud computing providers to stop distributing or hosting TikTok unless it is sold by its Chinese parent company, ByteDance. Lawmakers passed the law over concerns that the Chinese government could use the app, which claims roughly 170 million United States users, to gather information about Americans or spread propaganda.
App stores and cloud computing providers that do not comply with the law face potentially significant financial penalties. Mr. Trump said in his post on Sunday that he would “confirm that there will be no liability for any company that helped keep TikTok from going dark before my order.”
The possibility of an executive order — followed by TikTok’s stunning about-face — marks a new phase in the fight over the future of the app, which has reshaped the social media landscape and popular culture, and created a living for millions of influencers and small businesses that rely on the platform.
In issuing an order, Mr. Trump would raise questions about the rule of law in the United States. His action would constitute an attempt to temporarily neuter a law that passed with broad bipartisan support in Congress and that the Supreme Court unanimously upheld last week.
“We thank President Trump for providing the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will face no penalties providing TikTok to over 170 million Americans and allowing over 7 million small businesses to thrive,” TikTok said in a statement announcing that the app was coming back online.
It is unclear whether Mr. Trump’s efforts will be successful in the long term. His executive order could face a legal challenge, including over whether he has the power to stop enforcement of a federal law. Companies subject to the law may determine that the text of an order does not provide enough assurance that they will not be punished for violations
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The law does allow a president to grant a 90-day extension if a buyer is found, but only if there is “significant progress” toward a deal that puts TikTok in the hands of a non-Chinese company. That deal also has to be able to be completed within the 90 days for the president to trigger the extension. And it’s unclear if that extension option still exists, given that the law is already in effect.
In his post on Sunday, Mr. Trump floated the idea that he “would like the United States to have a 50% ownership position in a joint venture,” without providing further details.
TikTok has said that a sale is impossible, citing the nature of its global operations, and China has already signaled that it would block the export of its all-important video-recommendation technology.
Late Saturday, TikTok posted a message for users saying that the site was unavailable, but it was “fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution.”
TikTok and several Democratic members of Congress in recent days mounted a last-ditch effort to keep the app online. Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the Democratic leader, privately told President Biden that allowing the app to go dark on his watch would hurt his legacy.
Critics of TikTok started their own push to keep the possible ban on track. Senator Tom Cotton, Republican of Arkansas and chairman of the Senate’s intelligence committee, called some of the major tech companies in recent days to say they needed to comply with the law, according to three people familiar with the calls.
Earlier Sunday, Mr. Cotton and Senator Pete Ricketts, Republican of Nebraska, in a joint statement, commended Amazon, Apple, Google and Microsoft for following the law, noting that violations could result in bankruptcy.
“Now that the law has taken effect, there’s no legal basis for any kind of ‘extension’ of its effective date,” they added. Only a sale will allow TikTok to continue operating.