Millions of TikTok users in the United States can no longer watch videos on the social network after a federal ban on the application came into effect. The application was removed from major app stores on Saturday night, including those operated by Apple and Google, while its website informed users that the platform was no longer available.
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The service cut began a few hours before the law came into effect.
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How was the TikTok ban in the United States?
When users opened the TikTok app on Saturday night, they found a pop-up message that prevented them from scrolling through videos and said: “Sorry, TikTok is not available at the moment. A law has been enacted that bans TikTok in the United States…Unfortunately, this means you can’t use TikTok for now.”.
However, the message also included a glimmer of hope for users in an upcoming negotiation between the social network and the next president, Donald Trump.
“We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to restore TikTok once he takes office,” the notice continued, referring to Trump’s promise in the last hours to “save” the platform. The company told its users to stay tuned.
The only option the message gives to American users is to close the application or click on another option that takes them to the platform’s website. There, users are shown the same message and are given the option to download their data, an action that TikTok had previously said could take days to process.
Apple stated on its website that the TikTok and ByteDance apps were no longer available in the United States, while visitors in the country might have limited access. “Apple is required to comply with the laws in the jurisdictions where it operates,” the company said.
“If you already have these applications installed on your device, they will remain on your device. However, they cannot be re-downloaded if they are deleted or restored if you move to a new device. In-app purchases and new subscriptions are no longer possible,” the statement said, adding that the change could affect performance, security, and compatibility with future versions of iOS and iPadOS.”
TikTok’s CEO, Shou Chew, posted a video thanking Trump for his commitment to work with the company to keep the app available in the United States and for “a strong defense of the first amendment and against arbitrary censorship”.
“We are grateful and pleased to have the support of a president who truly understands our platform. One who has used words to express his own thoughts and perspectives, connect with the world, and generate over 60,000 million views of his content in the process,” Chew said.
What was Trump’s promise regarding TikTok?
In an interview with NBC News on Saturday, President-elect Donald Trump said he was considering granting TikTok a 90-day extension that would allow them to continue operating. If this extension occurs, Trump—who in the past has been in favor of banning the platform—said it would “probably” be announced on Monday, the day he assumes the presidency. The CEO of TikTok is expected to attend Trump’s inauguration with a privileged seat.
In Washington, lawmakers and government officials have long expressed concerns about the implementation, which they see as a threat to national security because it is Chinese-owned.
TikTok belongs to ByteDance, a technology company based in Beijing that operates the well-known video editing application CapCut and Lemon8, both also blocked since Saturday night.
On Friday, the Supreme Court unanimously decided that the national security risk posed by TikTok’s links to China outweighs concerns about limiting the freedom of expression of the app or its 170 million users in the United States.
As it is written, experts said that the law does not require TikTok to remove its platform, so it is not clear if the company voluntarily shut it down or if it was unable to maintain the service after losing access to support from its technology providers. The company did not respond to questions sent this week about its plans.
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