TikTok stopped operating in the United States late Saturday and disappeared from the Apple and Google app stores before a law went into effect on Sunday to shut down the app used by 170 million Americans.
US President-elect Donald Trump said earlier in the day that he would “most likely” give TikTok a 90-day exemption from the ban when he takes office on Monday, which TikTok cited in a notice sent to users on the app.
TikTok, which is owned by Chinese company ByteDance, told users trying to use the app around 10:45 p.m. ET: “A law banning TikTok has gone into effect in the US. Unfortunately, this 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 restore TikTok once he takes office. Please stay tuned.”
Even if temporary, the unprecedented shutdown of TikTok, owned by China's ByteDance, will have a wide-ranging impact on U.S.-China relations, U.S. domestic politics, the social media market and the millions of Americans who depend on the app economically and culturally.
The United States has never banned any major social media platform. The bill passed by a majority vote of Congress gives the incoming Trump administration broad powers to ban other Chinese-owned apps or seek their sale.
Other ByteDance-owned apps, including video editing app Capcut and lifestyle social media app Lemon8, were also disabled and unavailable in U.S. app stores as of late Saturday.
“The 90-day extension is something that will most likely be done because it's the right thing to do,” Trump told NBC. “If I decide to do it, I will probably announce it on Monday.”
TikTok users logging in late on Saturday were met with the news which said the law “will force us to temporarily block our services. We are working to restore our services in the U.S. as soon as possible.”
It was unclear whether any U.S. users could still access the app, but for many users it no longer worked, and those trying to access it through the web app received the same message that TikTok was no longer working.
Technology and digital lifestyle expert Andy Baryer says the U.S. ban on TikTok could spill over to Canada. He advises Canadian TikTok content creators to start migrating their audiences to other platforms. He also tells BC Today host Michelle Eliot that the Canadian government should be more transparent about TikTok's security issues, considering it was worried enough to ban the platform on all government-issued devices.
The Chinese-owned app that has delighted nearly half of Americans, powered small businesses and shaped online culture said Friday that the U.S. would go dark on Sunday unless President Joe Biden's administration assured companies like Apple and Google that they would not have to make enforcement actions once the ban takes effect.
Under a law passed last year and upheld by a unanimous Supreme Court on Friday, the platform has until Sunday to cut ties with its Chinese parent company ByteDance or shut down its U.S. operations to allay concerns that it poses a national security threat.
On Saturday, the White House reiterated that it would be up to the new administration to take action, raising the likelihood of a suspension on Sunday.
“We see no reason for TikTok or other companies to take action in the next few days before the Trump administration takes office on Monday,” press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.
TikTok did not respond to a request for comment on the new White House statement.
The Chinese embassy in Washington on Friday accused the United States of using unfair state power to suppress TikTok. “China will take all necessary measures to resolutely protect its legitimate rights and interests,” the spokesman said.
Users resort to alternatives
Uncertainty about the future of the app has prompted users, mainly younger ones, to look for alternatives including China-based RedNote. Shares of Rivals Meta and Snap also surged this month ahead of the ban as investors bet on an influx of users and advertising dollars.
“This is my new home now,” one user wrote in a RedNote post tagged with the words “tiktokrefugee” and “sad.”
Minutes after TikTok was shut down in the US, other users moved to X, formerly called Twitter.
“I really didn't think they would cut off TikTok. Now I feel sad and miss the friends I met there. I hope everything will be back in a few days,” wrote @RavenclawJedi.
NordVPN, a popular virtual private network (VPN) that allows users to access the Internet from servers around the world, said it was “experiencing temporary technical issues.”
According to Google Trends, internet searches for “VPN” spiked in the minutes after users in the U.S. lost access to TikTok.
Instagram users were worried about whether they would still receive goods purchased from TikTok Shop, the e-commerce part of the video platform.
Marketing companies dependent on TikTok rushed to prepare contingency plans this week in what one executive described as a “hair on fire” moment after months of conventional predictions that there would be a solution to keep the app running.
Chinese social media app RedNote is in the spotlight after more than half a million TikTok users recently joined the platform in protest against a likely imminent ban of the short video app in the United States, which is set to take effect on Sunday. Technologist Jason Snyder says RedNote could “surveil or exploit users,” adding that the real danger lies in its “ability to control the narrative.”
There have been signs that TikTok could make a comeback under Trump, who has said he wants to pursue a “political solution” to the issue and last month urged the Supreme Court to halt implementation of the ban.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew plans to attend the US presidential inauguration and attend a rally with Trump on Sunday, a source told Reuters.
Suitors, including former Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt, have expressed interest in the rapidly growing business, which analysts estimate could be worth as much as $50 billion. Media reports say Beijing has also been in talks to sell TikTok's U.S. operations to billionaire and Trump ally Elon Musk, though the company denies this.
U.S. search engine startup Perplexity AI made an offer to ByteDance on Saturday to merge Perplexity with TikTok US, a source familiar with the company's plans told Reuters. She added that Perplexity will merge with TikTok US and create a new entity, combining the combined company with other partners.
Privately held ByteDance is about 60% owned by institutional investors such as BlackRock and General Atlantic, with its founders and employees owning 20% each. It employs over 7,000 people in the USA