News Break
TikTok has officially ceased operations in the United States, following its removal from Apple and Google app stores on Saturday. This shutdown is in compliance with a new law that affects around 170 million American users.
President-elect Donald Trump hinted earlier that he would likely provide TikTok a 90-day reprieve from the ban once he takes office on Monday. TikTok, owned by China’s ByteDance, alerted users around 10:45 p.m. ET, stating, “Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now. 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.”
User reactions have been mixed, with one user, @RavenclawJedi, lamenting the loss of connections made on the app.
Marketing firms dependent on TikTok have been racing to develop contingency plans, calling the situation a “hair on fire” moment. There are signs that TikTok may have the opportunity to return under Trump’s administration, who seeks a “political resolution” to the matter.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is reportedly attending the U.S. presidential inauguration and a rally with Trump on Sunday. Interest in TikTok’s U.S. operations is growing, with former Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt expressing interest. Reports indicate discussions about a potential sale of TikTok’s U.S. operations to billionaire Elon Musk, though the company has denied these claims. Additionally, U.S. startup Perplexity AI has submitted a bid to merge with TikTok U.S.
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