TikTok disconnected access to its US users late Saturday, just before a nationwide ban was set to take effect, with President-elect Donald Trump unable to intervene until he assumes office.
A message on the app read, “A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the US. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now.”
However, the message also indicated that Trump had expressed a willingness to work on a solution to reinstate the app once he is sworn into office, urging users to “stay tuned.”
The ban followed months of legal battles, with the US Supreme Court on Friday upholding a law that would block TikTok due to national security concerns.
This move will take effect unless the app’s Chinese owners, ByteDance, agree to sell it to non-Chinese buyers by Sunday.
TikTok, which has become immensely popular for its viral videos, has a dedicated user base ranging from teenagers to grandmothers, many of whom have become social media celebrities.
Trump, in particular, has credited TikTok with helping him connect with younger voters during his 2024 campaign.
Following discussions with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump stated on Saturday that he may activate a 90-day delay after his inauguration to negotiate a potential resolution.
“I think that would be, certainly, an option that we look at,” Trump said, adding that an announcement could come on Monday.
The law grants a 90-day reprieve if progress toward a deal is demonstrated, but ByteDance has refused to sell the app.
The Biden administration has said it will leave the decision to the incoming Trump administration, while White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre dismissed TikTok’s statements as a “stunt.”
TikTok CEO Shou Chew expressed gratitude to Trump for his commitment to find a solution and praised him for understanding the platform’s significance.
Chew is also set to attend Trump’s inauguration on Monday.
The law mandates that Apple and Google remove TikTok from their app stores, prohibiting new downloads.
They could face penalties of up to $5,000 per user who can still access the app. Oracle, which hosts TikTok’s US servers, would also be required to enforce the ban.
In the midst of the shutdown, Perplexity AI, a high-profile startup backed by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, proposed a merger with TikTok’s US subsidiary.
The deal, which could value the combined entities at $50 billion, would allow ByteDance to retain control without fully selling off the app.
Meanwhile, Frank McCourt, the former owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, has also expressed interest in purchasing TikTok’s US operations, offering $20 billion for the platform.
However, there is uncertainty over whether an executive order by Trump to halt the ban could override the law.
With TikTok offline, its US rivals such as Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts stand to gain, while some TikTok users have flocked to Xiaohongshu, a Chinese social media app similar to Instagram, which has seen a surge in downloads in the US.
