TikTok users across the United States found the app nonfunctional late on Saturday as it disappeared from Apple and Google app stores. This sudden shutdown comes ahead of a law taking effect on Sunday, mandating the suspension of the app used by 170 million Americans.
President-elect Donald Trump stated earlier in the day that he would “most likely” grant TikTok a 90-day reprieve from the ban after he assumes office on Monday. TikTok cited this remark in a notice to its users, expressing hope for a solution.
TikTok, owned by China’s ByteDance, alerted users attempting to access the app around 10:45 p.m. ET (0345 GMT) with a message: “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.”
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.”
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 the ban takes effect.
Under a law passed last year and upheld on Friday by a unanimous Supreme Court, the platform has until Sunday to cut ties with its parent company ByteDance or shut down its U.S. operations to address concerns it poses a threat to national security.
The White House reiterated on Saturday that it was up to the incoming administration to take action. “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,” press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
