Millions of TikTok users in the United States will no longer be able to watch videos on the social media site as a government ban on the popular app goes into effect.
The newly enacted US law prohibits the use of platforms it started working Sunday, one day before the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump. The ban followed months of litigation and increased scrutiny of TikTok's Chinese ownership.
“A law banning TikTok has been implemented in the US,” said a message to users who want to use the app, which is used by 170 million Americans. “Unfortunately, that means you can't use TikTok for now.”
In an interview with the NBC News network on Saturday, Trump said he was considering giving TikTok 90 days to continue operating. If such an increase happens, Trump – who favored the TikTok ban – said it would “probably” be announced on Monday, the day he is sworn in as president.
TikTok's CEO Shou Chew is expected to attend Trump's inauguration with a luxury residence.
“We are fortunate that President Trump has agreed to work with us on a solution to TikTok once he takes office,” the app said in its message to US users. “Please stay awake!”
Friday, the US Supreme Court he kept the law ordered that the app be banned unless parent company ByteDance stops TikTok operations in the US. The decision marked a major escalation in efforts to block the program, which officials say threatens national security.
In court, Biden's administration defended the order by expressing concern that TikTok collects information about US users, which the Chinese government can access by force.
Officials have also warned that the app's algorithm, which determines what users see, could be modified by Chinese authorities to affect the platform in subtle and hard-to-detect ways.
However, the US has not provided public evidence that TikTok has shared user information with Chinese authorities or changed its algorithm to meet China's demands.
ByteDance has denied any wrongdoing and rejected calls to sell its US operations, leaving the platform in limbo.
The US law requires Apple and Google to remove TikTok from their app stores, and ban new downloads. Companies can face fines of up to $5,000 for each user found to be using the program.
Oracle, which hosts TikTok's servers, will also be responsible for enforcing the ban.
Meanwhile, US competitors such as Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts will benefit from TikTok's absence.
Another Chinese platform, Xiaohongshu, which means Little Red Book, has gained attention among American users, becoming the most downloaded app on the Apple store in the US this week.
Several vendors have offered last-minute solutions to make TikTok work.
According to media reports, Perplexity AI, an artificial intelligence startup backed by Jeff Bezos, presented plans to merge with TikTok's US business to create a new entity, which would allow ByteDance to retain ownership.
Other offers, including a $20bn investment from a consortium led by Canadian investor Kevin O'Leary and billionaire Frank McCourt, are being looked at.
Experts warn that even if Trump passes the ban, it could face legal challenges.
“Congress wrote this law to be a testament to the president,” warned Adam Kovacevich, head of the Chamber of Progress' business group.