TikTok, the widely popular social media platform with 170 million American users, shut down in the United States late Saturday night and was removed from Apple and Google app stores. The move came ahead of a federal ban set to take effect on Sunday (today), leaving millions of users and businesses in disarray.
The platform displayed a message to users around 4:45 a.m. West African Time (WAT) on Sunday, around 10:45 p.m. (ET) confirming that the app was no longer operational. TikTok had earlier cited hopes for intervention by President-elect Donald Trump, who has suggested granting a 90-day extension to address the national security concerns prompting the ban.
“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-elect Trump has indicated he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office,” the message read.
The U.S. Supreme Court recently upheld a law requiring TikTok to sever ties with its China-based parent company, ByteDance, or shut down its U.S. operations, reflecting ongoing concerns over data privacy and national security risks. Other ByteDance-owned platforms, including CapCut and Lemon8, were also removed from app stores in the U.S.
The Biden administration, in its final days, deferred responsibility to the incoming administration, with the White House stating that there was no immediate action necessary before Trump assumed office on Monday. In response, China’s embassy in Washington criticized the U.S., calling the ban an unfair use of state power and vowing to take all necessary measures to protect its interests.
Millions of TikTok users in the U.S., particularly younger audiences, have turned to alternative platforms such as RedNote. Rival companies, including Meta and Snap, have also benefited from the uncertainty surrounding TikTok, with their share prices rising in anticipation of gaining new users and ad revenue.
Meanwhile, web searches for VPNs surged as users sought ways to bypass the ban, while marketing firms dependent on TikTok scrambled to implement contingency plans. Businesses that rely on TikTok’s e-commerce arm, TikTok Shop, also expressed concerns about pending merchandise deliveries.
But then despite the shutdown, there still remains a possibility for resolution as President-elect Trump has indicated a willingness to grant TikTok a reprieve, stating, “The 90-day extension is something that will most likely be done because it’s appropriate.”
TikTok CEO, Shou Zi Chew is expected to attend Trump’s inauguration and meet with officials to negotiate a path forward.
Reports also suggest interest from potential buyers for TikTok’s U.S. operations, including billionaire Elon Musk and firms like Perplexity AI. All eyes will definitely be on the incoming administration’s handling of this contentious issue as TikTok’s future in the U.S. hangs in the balance.
Philips Babatunde