TikTok has officially suspended its operations in the United States following the implementation of a law banning the popular video-sharing app, effective January 19.
“Sorry, TikTok isn’t available right now. A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now,” read a message displayed to U.S. users attempting to access the app.
The company expressed hope for a resolution under President-elect Donald Trump, stating, “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!”
While users can still log in to download their data, the app has been removed from both the App Store and Google Play Store. Hours earlier, TikTok announced it would make its services “temporarily unavailable” in the U.S.
“We regret that a U.S. law banning TikTok will take effect on January 19 and force us to make our services temporarily unavailable,” the company said in a statement to users. “We’re working to restore our service in the U.S. as soon as possible, and we appreciate your support.”
The shutdown follows a Supreme Court ruling upholding the law, which requires TikTok’s Chinese-based parent company, ByteDance, to divest from the app or face a ban. The court ruled that the divest-or-ban mandate does not infringe on the company’s First Amendment rights.
While the Biden administration initially supported American ownership of TikTok to address national security concerns, the bipartisan law passed in April allowed 270 days for compliance.
President-elect Trump, set to begin his second term on January 20, has expressed a willingness to negotiate a resolution. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is expected to attend Trump’s inauguration as talks about the app’s future continue.
