Properly, it occurred – TikTok goes offline ...

Pour one out for TikTok — at least for now.

TikTok’s cell app has stopped working and has been faraway from Apple’s App Retailer and Google Play as of Saturday, January 18th, just some hours ahead of its January 19th ban.

Customers at the moment are greeted with a message that claims, “Sorry, TikTok is not obtainable proper now. A legislation banning TikTok has been enacted within the U.S. Sadly, which means you possibly can’t use TikTok for now. We’re lucky that President Trump has indicated that he’ll work with us on an answer to reinstate TikTok as soon as he takes workplace. “

The app permits customers to shut it or “study extra,” which directs to TikTok’s website. TikTok has additionally been faraway from Apple’s App Retailer and Google’s Play Retailer within the US. Any app market that also lists TikTok is topic to a $5,000 high-quality for each consumer that downloads the app. Different ByteDance-owned apps, together with CapCut, are at present displaying related messages.

It is unclear how lengthy TikTok will probably be unavailable

It is as much as the Trump Administration now

Following the passing of the “Defending Individuals from International Adversary Managed Apps Act” by President Biden, TikTok had six months to divest itself from Chinese language-owned father or mother firm ByteDance. The app fought the legislation primarily based on the First Modification, bringing it to the Supreme Courtroom. Nonetheless, the US’ highest courtroom just lately upheld the ban, making it clear the video-sharing social community would probably be shut down within the nation. For months, rumors swirled a couple of attainable sale to a US-based firm, however a deal did not materialize.

Earlier this week, White Home officers said that TikTok’s ban wouldn’t be enforced and that the duty can be left as much as President-elect Donald Trump’s administration. Nonetheless, TikTok launched a press release indicating that the White Home’s place “failed to supply the required readability and assurance to the service suppliers which might be integral to sustaining TikTok’s availability to over 170 million Individuals.”

In a latest interview with NBC News, Trump — who initially supported TikTok’s ban — said that he would “more than likely” grant a 90-day extension to ByteDance. Trump is about to take workplace on January twentieth, so there is a risk TikTok’s US ban might be temporary.

Nonetheless, it is nonetheless unclear if ByteDance is prepared to divest from TikTok and promote its US-based operations. In response to CNN, Canadian Kevin O’Leary (greatest identified for being on Shark Tank) proposed shopping for the service alongside a number of different buyers. Perplexity AI has reportedly additionally supplied to purchase TikTok’s stateside operations, in response to CNBC. With TikTok’s ban looming, earlier this week, US customers flooded Chinese language app RedNote, an analogous short-form video social community.

Since I stay in Canada, I can nonetheless entry TikTok, although I count on my feed will shortly grow to be far much less entertaining. My complete For You web page at present is stuffed with glib jokes in regards to the social media platform’s impending dying.