TikTok Shuts Down in the US, Users Lose Access Nationwide

Photo : Reuters

On late Saturday, TikTok officially stopped working for users in the United States. This happened right before a national ban was set to take effect, and President-elect Donald Trump could not step in to help until he took office. A message appeared on the app, telling users, "A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the US. Unfortunately, that means you can't use TikTok for now."

CapCut, another app owned by ByteDance, the same company that owns TikTok, also stopped its US services. The company refused to sell its apps to avoid the ban.

TikTok had warned US users that the app would be "temporarily unavailable" because of the ban. However, Trump hinted that he might intervene to give TikTok a break.

"We regret that a US law banning TikTok will take effect on January 19 and force us to make our services temporarily unavailable," the notification read. "We are working to restore our service in the US as soon as possible, and we appreciate your support. Please stay tuned."

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This move follows months of legal fights. The US Supreme Court confirmed the law that bans TikTok, claiming national security concerns. The law requires TikTok’s Chinese owners to sell the app to a non-Chinese company by Sunday, or the ban would take effect.

For months, US lawmakers had supported the law, but now they were worried about how it would affect TikTok’s millions of American users. Trump, who has benefited from TikTok’s connection with young voters, had previously said he might find a way to save the app.

On Saturday, Trump mentioned that he was considering granting TikTok a 90-day delay. "I think that would be, certainly, an option that we look at. The 90-day extension is something that will be most likely done because it's appropriate," he said. "If I decide to do that, I'll probably announce it on Monday."

The law allows for a 90-day delay if progress is made toward a deal. However, TikTok’s owner ByteDance has made it clear that they do not want to sell the app.

The Biden administration, which is about to leave office, decided to let Trump handle the situation. White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre referred to TikTok's statements as a "stunt."

TikTok CEO Shou Chew thanked Trump for his "commitment to work with us to find a solution." He also praised Trump for understanding the app and its value.

TikTok has been working hard to prevent the law from going into effect, and its CEO is set to attend Trump’s inauguration on Monday.

The new law requires Apple and Google to remove TikTok from their app stores, meaning new users won’t be able to download it. The companies could face fines of up to $5,000 for each user who still has access. Oracle, which hosts TikTok’s servers, must also enforce the ban.

Meanwhile, a start-up called Perplexity AI, backed by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, has offered a deal to merge with TikTok’s US branch. This offer could provide ByteDance with a solution without selling the app entirely. The deal could be worth at least $50 billion, but no price has been confirmed.

Frank McCourt, former owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, has also expressed interest in buying TikTok’s US operations. He said he is "ready to work with the company and President Trump to complete a deal."

Canadian investor Kevin O'Leary, who is involved in McCourt’s offer, revealed that ByteDance was offered $20 billion for TikTok’s US side. However, he acknowledged the uncertainty of the situation, as it is unclear whether Trump could override the law with an executive order.

Experts say that if Trump tries to issue an executive order to stop the ban, the law may still take precedence. "If an executive order conflicts with an existing law, the law takes precedence, and the order can be struck down by the courts," said Sarah Kreps, a professor of government and law at Cornell University.

If TikTok is forced to shut down, US competitors like Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts would likely see a boost in users. Some worried TikTok users have already started using a Chinese app called Xiaohongshu ("Little Red Book"), which is similar to Instagram and was the most downloaded app in the US Apple Store this week.

As the situation unfolds, many are still hopeful that TikTok will find a way to continue serving its millions of US users.