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TikTok was unavailable for US-based users late Saturday after the company failed to thwart a nationwide shutdown required under a new national security law that takes effect Sunday.
“A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S.,” according to an in-app pop-up message. “Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now.”
President-elect Donald Trump said Saturday he would “most likely” give TikTok a 90-day reprieve from the law, providing Chinese-owned parent company ByteDance Ltd. more time to find a buyer. Trump also told NBC in an exclusive interview that he’d probably announce it on Monday, after he is sworn in.
“We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office,” the notification continued. “Please stay tuned!” The note also directs users to a page to “learn more,” where they can download their TikTok data.
It was TikTok’s choice to suspend availability late Saturday. The controversial law requires companies such as Apple Inc., Alphabet Inc.’s Google and Oracle Corp. – to stop doing so on Jan. 19.
Removing the app from the app stores would not have shut off the service immediately; TikTokers who’d already downloaded it would have been able to continue using it, but would not have been able to install software updates. The app would have deteriorated over time until becoming unusable.
By preemptively taking the platform offline all at once, and earlier than anticipated, TikTok has a chance of mobilizing its enormous user base into protest. It’s possible users will demand action from political leaders like Trump to reverse the ban. TikTok says that 170 million Americans – half the country’s population – use the app.
The law, signed last April by President Joe Biden, required ByteDance to sell its US TikTok business to address national security concerns, or face a shutdown.
TikTok has previously tried to use its popularity to change its fate. The company urged TikTokers to call Congress to protest the bill and try to prevent it from passing when it was first introduced. The strategy backfired at the time, stoking lawmakers’ fears about the app’s influence over US users.
But given Trump’s recent support of the app, it could be more effective this time.
Trump, who tried to ban TikTok during his first presidency over national security concerns, has since warmed up to the social media platform.
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