A string of reports going back and forth talking about the TikTok ban in the U.S. is always something that would keep readers on the edge of their seats. On late Saturday, the worst came to pass, at least for those who care about the video-uploading platform. The app used by around 170 million Americans is no longer available, with TikTok removed from several platforms due to a federal law being passed.
There is a ray of hope as TikTok has mentioned that it will work with President Trump to get the platform back online in the U.S.
The company provided the following message to users who attempted to access the app around 10:45PM ET that a law enforced by the U.S. government means TikTok cannot be used at this time. Thankfully, there is some relief because the ByteDance subsidiary has stated that it will work with President Trump to ensure that its services are online once more.
“A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. 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.”
Consequently, Reuters reports that other apps owned by ByteDance, such as video-editing app Capcut and lifestyle social app Lemon8, have also gone offline and are unavailable for any U.S. resident to download and install as of late Saturday. Trump has informed NBC that his administration will provide a 90-day extension that ‘will be most likely done, because it’s appropriate.’ The new U.S. President has mentioned that he will make an announcement on Monday if he ever decides to give TikTok some relief.
The company had previously been warned on Friday that it would go dark in the U.S. and that it has until Sunday to cut ties with parent company ByteDance or shut down its operations in the country. A unanimous decision reached by the Supreme Court was upheld earlier this week, with TikTok being forced to sever its relationship with ByteDance to remove any national security concerns. As expected, the Chinese embassy situated in Washington accused the U.S. of using its power unfairly to suppress the platform.
It should be noted that a truckload of influencers, small business owners, and other individuals were taking advantage of TikTok as an income source, and with this avenue banned for the foreseeable future, these people will have to seek an alternative and fast. Thankfully, thousands have already flocked to RedNote, which serves as a rival to TikTok, with companies like Meta and Snap also seeing their shares rise as investors were betting that users would jump ship to these apps.
To give TikTok another chance at life after the ban, U.S.-based search engine startup Perprexity AI submitted a bid on Saturday to ByteDance to merge with the short-video-uploading app, with an unnamed source informing Reuters that with the merger, a new entity could be forced, adding more partners. Now, all we have to do is wait for whatever decision Donald Trump takes, so stay tuned.
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