TikTok tells US users that the service is 'temporarily' closed
Agencies
19/01/2025
TikTok expressed regret over the US law banning the app and forced it to temporarily stop the service.
TIKTOK TikTok informed its 170 million users in the United States (US) on Saturday that the app's services will no longer be available temporarily.
This comes after the deadline for its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to sell its stake in the app or face a ban, has expired.
In the notice that appeared when users opened the short video app, TikTok expressed regret over the US law that banned the app and forced it to temporarily stop the service. TikTok also said it is working to restore services in the US as soon as possible and appreciates the support of its users.
So far, the app is still working for users at the moment.
On Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed a law passed by Congress last year that requires ByteDance to sell the platform or face a nationwide ban starting Sunday.
The law was prompted by concerns that the platform could be used by Beijing for espionage purposes or spreading propaganda.
Last Saturday, President-elect Donald Trump said he would "most likely" issue a 90-day extension to that deadline when he enters the White House on Monday.
However, the law will prohibit companies such as Apple, Google and Oracle from providing services to distribute or host the app from midnight.
A fine of US$5,000 will be imposed for each user if they violate the rules.
Late Friday, TikTok stated that statements from the White House and the Department of Justice failed to provide the necessary clarity and assurance to key service providers supporting TikTok's availability in the United States.
Without an official statement that could convince major service providers of the legal exemption, TikTok said it had to halt operations in the U.S. starting today (Jan. 19).
