Millions of U.S. TikTok users were greeted with a shutdown message Saturday night as the platform went offline following the enforcement of a federal ban. The Supreme Court upheld the law requiring ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, to divest its U.S. operations. The incoming Trump administration has signaled a potential extension to find a resolution.
BY PC Bureau
TikTok has gone offline in the U.S., marking a significant turning point in the ongoing battle between the app’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, and American lawmakers. The platform ceased operations late Saturday night after the Supreme Court upheld a controversial law requiring ByteDance to divest from TikTok by January 19 or face a nationwide ban. The law, passed last year, was designed to address national security concerns over TikTok’s potential access to sensitive user data and its ties to China.
The shutdown came ahead of the midnight deadline, with users greeted by a message stating, “A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now. We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office.” By 10:50 p.m. Eastern Time, the app was no longer available in the Apple App Store.
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ByteDance had challenged the law in court, arguing that a sale of its U.S. operations was not feasible, but the Supreme Court unanimously rejected the appeal on Friday. The court agreed with Congress’s assessment that the platform could be leveraged by the Chinese government for data collection, posing a risk to U.S. national security.
While the Biden administration deferred enforcement to the incoming Trump administration, TikTok’s decision to voluntarily shut down preempted any immediate action. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre dismissed TikTok’s warning as a “stunt,” stating that any concerns should be addressed with President-elect Trump. Despite this, the law remains on the books, leaving companies like Apple and Google potentially liable for hosting TikTok in the future.<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>Tik Tok has shut down in the Us. You can still use it if logged in but eventually this message will come up. <a href=”https://t.co/ej0NpTxM6X”>pic.twitter.com/ej0NpTxM6X</a></p>— Lucky13 (@13isLucky13) <a href=”https://twitter.com/13isLucky13/status/1880822156231356702?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>January 19, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src=”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>
President-elect Trump, who previously attempted to ban TikTok during his first term, has suggested he may grant ByteDance an extension to comply with the law. “The 90-day extension is something that will most likely be done,” Trump said Saturday, adding that an official decision could come as early as Monday.
During Supreme Court arguments, TikTok’s lawyer, Noel Francisco, argued that divesting from TikTok would be nearly impossible due to opposition from the Chinese government, which controls the proprietary algorithm that powers the app’s personalized video recommendations. The court’s opinion emphasized Congress’s findings that Chinese companies can be compelled to share data with their government under local laws.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew struck a hopeful tone in a video statement following the ruling, expressing confidence that the app could return under Trump’s leadership. However, the platform’s long-term future remains in limbo. Without a sale or intervention from Congress, companies involved with TikTok’s operations could face significant fines for violations of the law, which carries a five-year statute of limitations.
For now, TikTok’s shutdown leaves millions of U.S. users in the dark and underscores the growing tension between national security priorities and digital freedom in an increasingly interconnected world.
