TikTok goes offline within the US hours earlier than ban

Pour one out for TikTok — at least for now.

TikTok’s cell app has stopped working and has been faraway from Apple’s App Retailer and Google Play as of Saturday, January 18th, only a few hours ahead of its January 19th ban.

Customers at the moment are greeted with a message that claims, “Sorry, TikTok is not accessible proper now. A legislation banning TikTok has been enacted within the U.S. Sadly, which means you possibly can’t use TikTok for now. We’re lucky that President Trump has indicated that he’ll work with us on an answer to reinstate TikTok as soon as he takes workplace. “

The app permits customers to shut it or “be taught extra,” which directs to TikTok’s website. TikTok has additionally been faraway from Apple’s App Retailer and Google’s Play Retailer within the US. Any app market that also lists TikTok is topic to a $5,000 tremendous for each consumer that downloads the app. Different ByteDance-owned apps, together with CapCut, are presently displaying comparable messages.

It is unclear how lengthy TikTok might be unavailable

It is as much as the Trump Administration now

Following the passing of the “Defending People from International Adversary Managed Apps Act” by President Biden, TikTok had six months to divest itself from Chinese language-owned father or mother firm ByteDance. The app fought the legislation based mostly on the First Modification, bringing it to the Supreme Court docket. Nevertheless, the US’ highest court docket not too long ago upheld the ban, making it clear the video-sharing social community would probably be shut down within the nation. For months, rumors swirled a couple of doable sale to a US-based firm, however a deal did not materialize.

Earlier this week, White Home officers said that TikTok’s ban wouldn’t be enforced and that the duty could be left as much as President-elect Donald Trump’s administration. Nevertheless, TikTok launched a press release indicating that the White Home’s place “failed to offer the required readability and assurance to the service suppliers which can be integral to sustaining TikTok’s availability to over 170 million People.”

In a latest interview with NBC News, Trump — who initially supported TikTok’s ban — said that he would “most certainly” grant a 90-day extension to ByteDance. Trump is about to take workplace on January twentieth, so there is a risk TikTok’s US ban might be transient.

Nevertheless, it is nonetheless unclear if ByteDance is keen to divest from TikTok and promote its US-based operations. In accordance with CNN, Canadian Kevin O’Leary (greatest recognized for being on Shark Tank) proposed shopping for the service alongside a number of different buyers. Perplexity AI has reportedly additionally supplied to purchase TikTok’s stateside operations, in line with CNBC. With TikTok’s ban looming, earlier this week, US customers flooded Chinese language app RedNote, the same short-form video social community.

Since I reside in Canada, I can nonetheless entry TikTok, although I anticipate my feed will shortly grow to be far much less entertaining. My total For You web page presently is full of glib jokes concerning the social media platform’s impending dying.