TikTok has been unavailable to Americans since Saturday evening. Shortly before the US ban on the app came into effect, users opened TikTok with the message: “Sorry, TikTok is not available at the moment. A law has been passed banning TikTok in the US. Unfortunately, this means you won’t be able to use TikTok for a while.”
The app may be temporarily available again on Monday, when Donald Trump is inaugurated as US president. He previously announced that he wanted to postpone the ban on the app by 90 days.
A new law ordered Chinese parent company ByteDance to sell TikTok to a non-Chinese buyer by Sunday, citing “national security risks.” Congress fears, among other things, that data from TikTok users will end up in the hands of the Chinese government. ByteDance does not want to sell TikTok and is not allowed to do so under Chinese law. The US Supreme Court refused to suspend the law last Friday, against the wishes of incoming President Donald Trump.
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Even if ByteDance does not sell TikTok, the app is not yet banned in the US. Nevertheless, the company is no longer allowed to update TikTok and the video app is no longer allowed to be offered in the app stores. ByteDance removed the app from all app stores on Saturday evening around 11 p.m. US time.
Trump
ByteDance’s hopes are pinned on Donald Trump, who has repeatedly said he wants to reverse the ban on TikTok. “We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office,” ByteDance said on Sunday.
Donald Trump will be inaugurated as US president for the second time on Monday. The Republican tried unsuccessfully to ban TikTok in his first presidential term, but he changed his mind last year. The platform played an important role in reaching young people during the past presidential elections.
About 170 million users use the app in the United States. Although the parent company is Chinese, American investment companies own 60 percent of the shares.