TikTok Goes Offline in the US Ahead of Incoming Ban Enforcement

TikTok has gone offline in the US, hours before a law banning the platform was set to take effect.

TikTok users in the United States found the app inaccessible as the platform went offline on Sunday, just hours before a new law banning the social media platform was due to come into force.

A message displayed on the app cited the enacted ban, stating, “You can’t use TikTok for now.” It also noted optimism about working with President-elect Donald Trump to “reinstate TikTok” once he takes office on Monday.

The ban stems from a Supreme Court ruling upholding legislation requiring TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to sell the platform by Sunday. ByteDance has not complied, citing the law as a violation of free speech protections for the app’s 170 million US users.

President-elect Trump has suggested he may grant TikTok a 90-day reprieve to allow for further negotiations, stating on Saturday, “The 90-day extension is something that will most likely be done, because it’s appropriate.”

The White House clarified that the decision to enforce the ban would rest with the incoming administration, with current press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre saying there is “no reason for TikTok or other companies to take actions in the next few days before the Trump administration takes office on Monday.”

TikTok’s CEO, Shou Zi Chew, thanked Trump for his “commitment to work with us” in finding a resolution and is expected to attend Trump’s inauguration.

Meanwhile, creators across the platform expressed their dismay at the ban. Influencer Nicole Bloomgarden noted the impact on her earnings, while another user, Erika Thompson, highlighted the loss of educational content for the TikTok community.

With the app removed from Apple and Google’s US app stores and TikTok.com no longer showing videos, the platform stated it is “working to restore our service in the US as soon as possible.”