TikTok officially shut down for U.S. users on January 18, 2025, due to a new law banning the app unless its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, sells its U.S. operations. Despite an earlier appeals court ruling, the Supreme Court upheld the ban, which TikTok plans to challenge through lawsuits. President Trump has expressed willingness to work on a solution to relaunch the app after his second term begins. While users are unable to post videos, they can still access data. TikTok’s CEO thanked Trump for his support, emphasizing the importance of First Amendment rights amid the ongoing controversy.
TikTok, the viral social media platform where billions of people created and shared short videos, officially went dark for users in the United States on Saturday night.
The popular social media app issued a statement to users regarding the sudden closure, which was originally scheduled to take effect Sunday.
“A law has been enacted in the United States that bans the popular video-sharing app. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now,” the message reads.
“We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated he is willing to work with us on a solution to bring TikTok back after he takes office. Stay tuned!
Last year, Congress passed a law banning TikTok unless its Chinese parent company ByteDance sells its stake by Monday.
The Chinese conglomerate had nine months to sell the platform’s U.S. operations to an approved buyer, but had long said it would not do so.
U.S. authorities have highlighted the app’s potential national security risks, while TikTok, along with some users and creators, has filed a lawsuit to block the ban.
Ahead of the app’s blackout this weekend, the Supreme Court ruled that the ban “does not violate the appellants’ First Amendment rights,” overturning an earlier appeals court ruling. I supported it.
TikTok, the viral social media platform where billions of people create and share short videos, officially went dark for users in the United States on Saturday evening.
Popular social media app releases statement to users regarding long-awaited closure
Despite the court’s ruling, President Trump, who had asked the Supreme Court to delay enforcement of the ban, has expressed interest in potentially overturning the court’s decision after his second term begins. .
“The Supreme Court’s decision was expected and everyone must respect it,” the president-elect told Truth Social on Saturday. “My decision regarding TikTok will be made in the not-too-distant future, but I need time to review the situation. Stay tuned!’
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chiu, who is scheduled to attend President Trump’s second inauguration, previously said the app was “grateful and pleased to have the support of a president who truly understands our platform.” He said.
“On behalf of everyone at TikTok and our users across the United States, we want to thank President Trump for his commitment to working with us to find a solution to keep TikTok available in the United States,” Chu added.
“This is a strong position in support of the First Amendment and against arbitrary censorship.”
Under this ban, users cannot post videos, but they can access and download the data.
Despite the court upholding the ban, President Biden had previously indicated he would not enforce it, leaving the fate of the controversial app to President Trump after his second oath of office. There is.