Chinese video-sharing platform TikTok suspended all US services early Sunday morning, while Apple and Google removed the app from their app stores to avoid hefty penalties under a new law. This follows the expiration of the divest-or-ban deadline for TikTok at midnight, just one day after the Supreme Court upheld the mandate.
"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!" TikTok's US website landing page reads.
On Saturday, President-elect Donald Trump said he would give TikTok's owner, Chinese-owned parent company ByteDance, a three-month reprieve from the ban to find a buyer.
"The 90-day extension is something that will be most likely done, because it's appropriate," Trump told NBC News in an exclusive interview, adding, "If I decide to do that, I'll probably announce it on Monday."
Bloomberg noted, "It was TikTok's choice to suspend availability late Saturday" or "face enormous penalties."
The unprecedented shutdown of TikTok will mobilize its massive base of 170 million monthly US users and demand action against political leaders who have been trying to nuke the Chinese video-sharing app, as well as, call on Trump to reverse the ban.
The Biden-Harris administration has made it very clear to the incoming administration to take action against TikTok over national security concerns.
Early Sunday, Elon Musk confirmed that X is exploring the very real possibility of bringing back the short-form video app Vine in some capacity to his social media platform, which has become a central hub for Americans to access news.
TikTokers are freaking out about the ban...
Goldman told clients on Thursday that "Tiktok refugees" were finding alternative video-sharing platforms worldwide, such as downloading the Chinese app RedNote...
TikTok influencer Tiffany Cianci told Bloomberg she hopes that Trump can deliver to reverse the ban: "This is a promise Trump made and it is a promise he used to get a large number of young people to vote for him," adding, "We are calling on him to deliver immediately."