TikTok ceased operations in the United States late Saturday and was removed from Apple and Google app stores, ahead of a law mandating the app’s shutdown, which affects approximately 170 million American users.
President-elect Donald Trump indicated earlier that he would likely grant TikTok a 90-day reprieve from the ban once he assumes office on Monday, a promise that TikTok referenced in a notice to its users. The app, owned by China’s ByteDance, notified users around 10:45 p.m. ET (0345 GMT) that the new law had been enacted, stating, “Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now. We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office. Please stay tuned.”
Many users expressed their disappointment, with one user, @RavenclawJedi, commenting, “Now I’m sad and I miss the friends I made there. Hoping it all comes back in just a few days.”
Marketing firms that rely on TikTok have been scrambling to devise contingency plans, describing the situation as a “hair on fire” moment. There are indications that TikTok may find a way to return under Trump’s administration, who has expressed a desire for a “political resolution” to the issue.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is expected to attend the U.S. presidential inauguration and a rally with Trump on Sunday.
Interest in TikTok’s U.S. operations has surged, with former Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt among those interested. Reports suggest that discussions have occurred regarding the sale of TikTok’s U.S. operations to billionaire and Trump ally Elon Musk, although the company has denied such claims.
Additionally, U.S. search engine startup Perplexity AI submitted a bid to merge with TikTok U.S., aiming to create a new entity through collaboration with other partners. ByteDance, which is privately held, has more than 7,000 employees in the U.S. and is largely owned by institutional investors.
