TikTok, the popular app owned by ByteDance, went offline just 90 minutes before a U.S. ban took effect. At 10:30 p.m. ET, the app displayed a message: “Sorry, TikTok isn’t available right now.” It added, “President Trump has indicated he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office. Please stay tuned!”
The app’s 170 million users may see it return soon. Donald Trump will take office again on Monday. He plans to extend the ban deadline by 90 days, allowing more time to find a solution.
The issue began with a law Congress passed last year. It requires TikTok to sell its U.S. operations or face a ban. Lawmakers argue that ByteDance’s ties to the Chinese government pose risks to American users’ data privacy and national security. On Friday, the Supreme Court upheld the law and rejected TikTok’s argument that it violated the First Amendment.
While the law only mandates TikTok’s removal from app stores, the company chose to take itself offline entirely.
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