UPDATE: TikTok said Jan. 19 said in a statement on X, “In agreement with our service providers, TikTok is in the process of restoring service.” The news comes after President-elect Donald Trump called for the Chinese-owned service to remain available to U.S. users.
“I will issue an executive order on Monday to extend the period of time before the law’s prohibitions take effect,” he said on Truth Social, “so that we can make a deal to protect our national security.”
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POV: You’re looking for a new app to scroll through for hours.
Just hours before Jan. 19, after the Supreme Court upheld a law that would require TikTok be sold to a U.S.-held company in order to remain active in the country, a nationwide ban of the popular video sharing app officially went into effect.
Now, when users open the app, they are met with a message—and no video content. “Sorry, TikTok isn’t available right now,” the note began. “A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now.”
Yes, for now. “We are fortunate that President [Donald] Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office [Jan. 20],” the message continued. “Please stay tuned!”