KUALA LUMPUR — TikTok is now unavailable in the US, hours before the Jan 19 deadline for its ban unless Chinese owner ByteDance divests operations there.
The app was removed from app stores on Apple and Google Saturday night, while existing users found they could not get past a pop-up message from the company when they opened it.
“A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the US. Unfortunately that means you can’t use TikTok for now,” the message said.
“We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office. Please stay tuned!”
The messages gives users the option to close the app, or click “learn more,” which directs them to the TikTok website.
The Associated Press said the pop-up appeared even before the ban’s deadline went into force at 12.01am on Jan 19 in the US.
TikTok, and the nearly 170 million American users who used it, are banking hopes for continued survival on President-elect Donald Trump, who said in an interview that he would “most likely” give the platform a 90-day reprieve on the ban once he assumes office on Jan 20.
Trump has said previously he would seek a political solution or find a buyer for ByteDance to buy TikTok’s US operations.
Joe Biden’s administration, which imposed the ban under a law citing national security concerns, has said it would be left to the incoming government to implement the ban.
Lack of clarity on how the ban would be enforced saw TikTok issue an earlier statement warning that it would be “forced to go dark”. – January 19, 2025