Nicely, it occurred – 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, just some hours ahead of its January 19th ban.

Customers are actually 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, meaning 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 “study 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 advantageous for each consumer that downloads the app. Different ByteDance-owned apps, together with CapCut, are at present displaying comparable messages.

It is unclear how lengthy TikTok will likely be unavailable

It is as much as the Trump Administration now

Following the passing of the “Defending Individuals from Overseas 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 primarily based on the First Modification, bringing it to the Supreme Court docket. Nonetheless, the US’ highest courtroom just lately upheld the ban, making it clear the video-sharing social community would probably be shut down within the nation. For months, rumors swirled a few potential 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. Nonetheless, 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 are integral to sustaining TikTok’s availability to over 170 million Individuals.”

In a current interview with NBC News, Trump — who initially supported TikTok’s ban — said that he would “probably” grant a 90-day extension to ByteDance. Trump is about to take workplace on January twentieth, so there is a chance TikTok’s US ban may very well be temporary.

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

Since I reside in Canada, I can nonetheless entry TikTok, although I anticipate my feed will rapidly grow to be far much less entertaining. My whole For You web page at present is crammed with glib jokes concerning the social media platform’s impending demise.