WASHINGTON — Just before a ban on the well-known social media network officially took effect, TikTok fell down for users in the United States on Saturday.
The notice “Sorry, TikTok isn’t available right now” appeared when users opened the app on Saturday night.
The letter went on to say that the United States had passed legislation outlawing TikTok. Regretfully, that means you are currently unable to use TikTok. Fortunately, President Trump has stated that he will collaborate with us to find a way to bring TikTok back once he into office. Stay tuned, please!
A request for comment on Saturday night regarding the app’s notification complimenting the president-elect specifically was not immediately answered by a representative of President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team.
After that, the message asked users to either learn more or exit the app. There was an extra line on the landing page of the website telling consumers that they could still log in and get their data.
Additionally, the software didn’t seem to be available for download in the U.S. app stores for Google and Apple.
There are 170 million TikTok users in the US.
Similar notifications appeared in other applications owned by ByteDance, the Chinese parent firm of TikTok, such as CapCut, Lemon8, and Gauth. Many U.S. users were also unable to use these apps on Saturday night.
Early on Sunday, Apple said on its website that the ByteDance and TikTok apps were no longer accessible in the United States.
Apple stated that it must abide by the laws of the countries in which it conducts business. Starting January 19, 2025, users in the United States will no longer be able to download or update apps created by ByteDance Ltd. and its subsidiaries, such as TikTok, CapCut, Lemon8, and others, on the App Store in accordance with the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act.
The closure of TikTok comes after a few days of ambiguity before the app’s U.S. ban took effect on Sunday.
President Joe Biden approved legislation in April requiring ByteDance to sell TikTok to a non-Chinese owner or face suspension. The app was forced to shut down in the US after the Supreme Court upheld the ban on Friday.
However, in a statement issued on Friday, the Biden administration said it will hand off law enforcement to the Trump administration. In reaction, many TikTok users started switching to Chinese social networking apps, and the law has proven extremely unpopular with users and many Americans.
It was unclear whether Americans would still be able to access the app after the Biden administration said on Sunday that it would not enforce the ban.
Because TikTok is controlled by a Chinese business, lawmakers from both parties have criticized the app as a national security danger.Critics of TikTok worried that the Chinese government might use the software to obtain American data or control the content that Americans viewed.
However, the business has dismissed lawmakers’ worries, framing the impending ban as a matter of censorship and free expression. According to Shou Zi Chew, the CEO of TikTok, the software is safe and secure.
The future of the app is uncertain. Trump told NBC News Kristen Welker earlier on Saturday that he would probably give ByteDance an additional ninety days after the deadline on Sunday to sell the app and keep it from being permanently banned.
Trump stated that the 90-day extension is something that would probably be implemented because it is appropriate.
On TikTok, Trump has changed his mind. He declared his intention to ban the app in 2020. Trump changed his mind a few years later and created his own TikTok account during the 2024 presidential campaign. Trump promised to save TikTok in one video.
Chew praised Trump in a video greeting that was uploaded to TikTok on Friday, stating that the incoming president was a big supporter of the app. Trump has almost 14 million followers on the app, making him the most followed American politician, according to Chew.
To express their sympathy for the app’s closure, several TikTok users switched to competing social networking sites.
Many individuals were forced to find new ways to spend their time after the well-known Liz Minnelli Outlives X account chimed in and warned fans that the actor had outlived the app.
Because Washington eliminated both the Detroit Lions and TikTok, one user likened the two teams.
Elon Musk, the unofficial government spending overseer, is arguing for TikTok to stay open on the grounds of free speech, while other members of Trump’s administration, such as incoming Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr, are opposing Chinese influence on the app.
Trump said on Truth Social on Friday that everyone should respect the Supreme Court’s ruling, which was anticipated. Not too long from now, I will make a choice on TikTok, but I need time to consider the circumstances. Keep an eye out!
It is uncertain how long Trump could uphold Biden’s decision to not execute the law.
In the days preceding its shutdown, TikTok users were lamenting the app’s possible demise, with numerous prominent producers compiling lists of their most popular content or requesting that their fans follow them on other platforms. Experts who talked with NBC News said that although RedNote, a Chinese app that protests the government, has attracted a lot of TikTok users, it really poses a bigger security risk.