TikTok stops working for US users
Photo: Trump made it clear that he would work to restore the social network in the country (Getty Images)
On Saturday evening, January 18, the TikTok app was removed from Apple and Google app stores for users in the US. This occurred ahead of the enforcement of a new law banning the platform, informs the Associated Press.
As of 10:50 PM Eastern Time, the TikTok app was removed from Apple and Google stores, following a law that prohibits offering the platform. The law also required TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, based in China, to sell the platform. Failure to comply has resulted in the app's ban.
Now, when users attempt to open TikTok, a pop-up window prevents them from scrolling through videos.
"Sorry, TikTok isn’t available right now. 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 that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office. Please stay tuned," the message reads.
Prior to this message, the company informed users that its service would be "temporarily unavailable," stating it was working to restore access in the US "as quickly as possible."
It is worth noting that yesterday, US President-elect Donald Trump announced that TikTok would likely receive a 90-day reprieve from the ban in the country. However, this decision is expected to be made tomorrow following his inauguration, should he choose to grant it.
