In brief
As TikTok goes offline in the US, users face uncertainty following a Supreme Court ruling and the transition to a new presidential administration.
According to reports, TikTok has officially gone offline in the United States just hours before a new law aimed at banning the app was set to take effect. Users opening the application were greeted with a message indicating that the law banning TikTok had been enacted, leaving them unable to access the platform. The message indicated, “you can’t use TikTok for now,” creating an immediate disruption for the app’s 170 million American users.The abrupt shutdown comes in the wake of a warning from TikTok itself stating it would “go dark” unless the outgoing Biden administration provided assurances that the ban would not be enforced. However, President-elect Donald Trump has signaled his intention to intervene, suggesting that he is likely to grant TikTok a 90-day reprieve to reassess the situation once he assumes office on Monday.In addition to the app’s disappearance, users noted that TikTok had been pulled from Google’s US App Store, and the website was no longer displaying videos, further complicating accessibility. This move follows a Supreme Court decision from Friday, which upheld the law that bans the app unless its China-based parent company, ByteDance, sells the American version to a neutral party—a requirement that remains unmet as the deadline approaches on January 19.TikTok has taken a strong stance against the law, asserting that it conflicts with free speech rights that protect its extensive US user base. As this story develops, more details and updates are expected to follow regarding the legal battle and the platform's future in the country.
