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TikTok told its 170 million US users on Saturday that it would no longer be available “temporarily” after a deadline for its Chinese parent company Bytedance to either sell its stake in the app or face a ban.
In a pop-up that appeared when users opened the short-form video app, the company wrote: “We regret that the US law banning TikTok will take effect on January 19 and force us to make our services temporarily unavailable.”
It added: “We are working to restore our service in the US as soon as possible and appreciate your support. Stay with us.” The app is otherwise still working for users.
On Friday, the US Supreme Court upheld a law passed by Congress last year requiring ByteDance to sell the platform or face a nationwide ban on Sunday, fueled by concerns that Beijing could use the platform for espionage or spreading propaganda.
On Saturday, President-elect Donald Trump said he would “most likely” extend the deadline by 90 days when he gets to the White House on Monday.
However, the law will ban companies such as Apple, Google and Oracle from providing distribution or hosting services for the video app from midnight or face fines of up to $5,000 per user.
Late Friday, TikTok said statements from the White House as well as the Justice Department “failed to provide the necessary clarity and assurance to service providers integral to maintaining TikTok’s availability” in the US, and that without “a final statement that would satisfy the most critical service providers guaranteeing non-implementation, TikTok would be forced to shut down on January 19.
This is a developing story.
