January 19, World (LNW): TikTok has gone offline for users in the United States just hours before a new law banning the app was set to take effect.
A notice on the platform informed users that the ban had been enacted, rendering TikTok temporarily inaccessible to those within the US.
The message displayed to users stated, “You can’t use TikTok for now,” adding that discussions were ongoing with President Trump to find a resolution.
The statement suggested that once President Trump assumes office, there could be efforts to reinstate the platform.
This development follows an ultimatum issued by TikTok earlier in the week, warning that the platform would “go dark” unless the outgoing Biden administration provided clarity on whether the ban would be enforced.
The company had pressed for assurances that the ban, initially proposed by the Trump administration, would not come into effect immediately.
President-elect Donald Trump had previously indicated that, upon taking office, he would likely offer TikTok a 90-day grace period before any potential ban is enforced, allowing time for negotiations and potential solutions to be explored.
In addition to the app’s sudden offline status, users reported that TikTok had been removed from both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store in the United States.
Additionally, accessing TikTok.com led to an error message, with no videos available for viewing.
