TikTok goes dark in the US

TikTok has gone dark in the US, the result of a federal law banning the popular short-form video app from millions of Americans — at least for now.

TikTok users started receiving a message about the ban around 10:30 PM ET. As of Saturday evening, the app is also no longer available in the Apple App Store.

“Sorry, TikTok is currently unavailable,” the message read. “A law has been passed banning TikTok in the United States, and unfortunately, this means that you cannot use TikTok at this time.”

However, the message also notes that this may only be a temporary disappearance, crediting President-elect Donald Trump for noting that he “will work with us on a solution to bring TikTok back once he takes office,” while urging users to “follow along!”.

The company had indicated that the disappearance of the application was imminent. Saying on Friday that “it’s going to get dark” Unless President Joe Biden’s administration issues a “final statement” that it will not implement the ban.

Biden signed the law in April, requiring TikTok owner ByteDance to sell the app or ban it in the United States, over concerns about potential Chinese surveillance and propaganda. While the effort to force ByteDance to divest dates back to the first Trump administration, it has taken on a very different tone recently. Asking the Supreme Court to postpone the ban He says he will “probably” Give the company a 90-day extension.

While the Supreme Court issued its ruling Stick to the law on FridayThe Biden administration seemed inclined to do so Leave the fate of the app in the hands of the next presidentWhite House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that Sunday was Biden’s last day in office, and that “law enforcement actions should simply fall to the incoming administration.” Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco issued a similar statement that “the next phase of this effort is… “Implementing the law and ensuring compliance with it after it comes into force on January 19 will be a process that continues over time.”

However, TikTok noted that this was not enough to ensure that “significant service providers” would continue to list or host the app in the US, unless the Biden administration issued the “final statement” mentioned above. Jean-Pierre called TikTok’s response a “stunt” and claimed that “there is no reason for TikTok or other companies to take action in the next few days before the Trump administration takes office on Monday.”

Hoax or not, TikTok is gone for now.