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TikTok has stopped working in the United States late on Saturday (Jan 18), and disappeared from Apple and Google app stores ahead of a law that took effect on Sunday requiring the shutdown of the platform used by 170 million Americans.
President-elect Donald Trump had said earlier in the day he would “most likely” give TikTok a 90-day reprieve from the ban after he takes office on Monday, the 20th of January 2025- a promise TikTok cited in a notice posted to the users on the app.
Will Trump be able to save TikTok……….?
Other apps owned by ByteDance, including video editing app Capcut and lifestyle social app Lemon8, were also offline and unavailable in US app stores as of late Saturday.
Uncertainty over the app’s future had sent users – mostly younger people – scrambling to alternatives including China-based RedNote.
In fact, TikTok’s short-form video format lends itself to entertainment and comedy. However, it is increasingly used for ‘infotainment’. Influencers who gain a steady audience on TikTok offer snippets of advice and tips along with self-promotion.
It is a social media platform for creating, sharing and discovering short videos. The app is used by young people as an outlet to express themselves through singing, dancing, comedy, and lip-syncing, and allows users to create videos and share them across their favoring community.
Being ‘User-friendly’, it is a platform that is easy to use, and thus yet another reason for its popularity. No one has to rack their brains over posting a video on it, editing their content, or even figuring out how to deal with more specific issues such as getting unbanned.
So, in spite of being much popular, TikTok stopped working in the United States late on Saturday (Jan 18) and disappeared from Apple and Google app stores ahead of a law that took effect on Sunday requiring the shutdown of the platform used by 170 million Americans.
President-elect Donald Trump said earlier in the day he would “most likely” give TikTok a 90-day reprieve from the ban after he takes office on Monday, a promise TikTok cited in a notice posted to users on the app.
TikTok, which is owned by China’s ByteDance, told users attempting to use the app: “A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the US. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now. 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.”
Other apps owned by ByteDance, including video editing app Capcut and lifestyle social app Lemon8, were also offline and unavailable in US app stores as of late Saturday.
“The 90-day extension is something that will be most likely done, because it’s appropriate,” Trump told an agency. “If I decide to do that, I’ll probably announce it on Monday.”
TikTok users logging on late on Saturday were met with a message that said the law would “force us to make our services temporarily unavailable. We’re working to restore our service in the US as soon as possible”.
It was not clear if any US users could still access the app, but it was no longer working for many users, and people seeking to access it through a web application were met with the same message that TikTok was no longer working.
The Chinese-owned app, which has captivated nearly half of all Americans, powered small businesses and shaped online culture, said on Friday it will go dark in the US on Sunday unless President Joe Biden’s administration provides assurances to companies such as Apple and Google that they will not face enforcement actions when a ban takes effect.
Under a law passed last year and upheld on Friday by a unanimous Supreme Court, the platform has until Sunday to cut ties with its China-based parent ByteDance or shut down its US operation to resolve concerns it poses a threat to national security.
After the court defeat, TikTok CEO Shou Chew appealed to Trump, thanking him for his “commitment to work with us to find a solution”. Trump “truly understands our platform”, he added. Chew is also set to attend Trump’s Presidential inauguration ceremony on Monday.
The law requires Apple and Google to remove TikTok from their app stores, blocking new downloads. The companies could face penalties of up to US$5,000 per user who can access the app. Oracle, which hosts TikTok’s servers, would also be legally obligated to enforce the ban.
The White House reiterated on Saturday that it was up to the incoming administration to take action, increasing the likelihood of a shutdown on Sunday.
“We see no reason for TikTok or other companies to take actions in the next few days before the Trump administration takes office on Monday,” press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.
TikTok did not respond to a request for comment on the new White House statement. The Chinese embassy in Washington on Friday accused the US of using unfair state power to suppress TikTok. “China will take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard its legitimate rights and interests,” a spokesperson said.
A last-minute proposal made Saturday by the highly valued start-up Perplexity AI offered a merger with the US subsidiary of TikTok, a source with knowledge of the deal told AFP. That deal could allow parent company ByteDance a possible solution without selling off the app entirely.
The plan, first reported by US broadcaster CNBC, would create a new joint venture combining the assets of US TikTok and Perplexity AI, which has been backed by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. The proposal did not include a price for the transaction, but the source estimated it would be at least US$50 billion.
Frank McCourt, the former Los Angeles Dodgers owner, has also made an offer to purchase TikTok’s US activity and said he’s “ready to work with the company and President Trump to complete a deal”.
Canadian investor Kevin O’Leary, who is involved in that offer, told Fox News that ByteDance was offered US$20 billion for TikTok’s US operation. He acknowledged the legal uncertainty over the case, with it remaining an open question whether an executive order by Trump to halt the ban would override the law.
“Congress wrote this law to be virtually president-proof,” warned Adam Kovacevich, chief executive of industry trade group Chamber of Progress.
Sarah Kreps, a professor of government and law at Cornell University, said, “if an executive order conflicts with an existing law, the law takes precedence, and the order can be struck down by the courts”.
With TikTok forced into a shutdown, its US-based rivals Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts could reap benefits. Thousands of worried TikTok users have protectively turned to Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book), a Chinese social media network similar to Instagram. Nicknamed “Red Note” by its American users, it was the most downloaded app on the US Apple Store this week.
If the law stands and the company fails to sell the app, TikTok will be blocked from any US app store or web-hosting service. This would affect TikTok’s over 170 million US users, including 62 per cent of Americans aged 18 to 29.
It would also alter the news and information landscape. Unlike its competitors, TikTok has been annually increasing its proportion of users who regularly seek news on the platform. Nearly one-third of Americans under 30 use TikTok as a news source.
The main arguments against TikTok under ByteDance’s ownership include that it enables foreign influence of US public opinion, promotes harmful behaviors among minors, and undermines Americans’ data privacy. However, none of these concerns are new or unique to TikTok among social media platforms.
However, the time of uncertainty about a possible ban in the lucrative US market could extend to multiple years. Content creators and users would be wise to explore alternatives. In the process, they may find that the platform is not as special as it seems.
Critics have long alleged that TikTok is controlled by China’s government and that Beijing uses the app to collect user data and spread propaganda. Both country and company have strongly denied such claims.
In short, TikTok would be removed from Apple and Google app stores in the US. Existing users would be able to keep using TikTok on their phones, but they’d miss out on updates and bug fixes.
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Commencing teaching in his early twenties, Prof Aggarwal has diverse experience of great tenure in the top institutions not only as an educationist, administrator, editor, author but also promoting youth and its achievements through the nicest possible content framing. A revolutionary to the core, he is also keen to address the society around him for its betterment and growth on positive notes while imbibing the true team spirit the work force along with.
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