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Updated 10:28 IST, January 19th 2025

TikTok Shuts Down in US Ahead of Federal Ban, Removed from Apple & Google's App Store

Ban comes from a federal law signed by President Biden last year, giving ByteDance 9 months to divest its stake in TikTok’s US platform to an approved buyer.

Reported by: Digital Desk
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TikTok Shuts Down in US Ahead of Federal Ban, Removed from Apple & Google's App Store
TikTok Shuts Down in US Ahead of Federal Ban, Removed from Apple & Google's App Store | Image: TikTok

New York: The popular social media platform TikTok was taken down from major app stores in the United States late Saturday, hours before a federal law enforcing a ban on the app came into effect.  

By 10:50 pm EST, the app was no longer available on Apple and Google’s app stores, in compliance with a law mandating that TikTok’s China-based parent company, ByteDance, sell its US operations or face a complete ban.  

When users opened the app on Saturday night, they were greeted with a message that blocked access. The message read, "A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the US. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now."  

The statement further said, "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!"  

Earlier, TikTok had informed users that the service would be “temporarily unavailable” and assured them it was working to restore operations in the U.S. “as soon as possible.”  

The ban stems from a federal law signed by President Joe Biden last year, giving ByteDance nine months to divest its stake in TikTok’s U.S. platform to an approved buyer. After exhausting legal options and losing at the Supreme Court on Friday, ByteDance failed to meet the deadline.  

Under the new law, mobile app stores are prohibited from offering TikTok, and internet hosting services are barred from delivering the platform to U.S. users.  

Biden Administration Leaves Matter for Trump

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco had stated that the Biden administration would leave the law’s implementation to President-elect Donald Trump, who will take office on Sunday.  

TikTok, however, sought clarity, demanding a “definitive statement” from the administration to prevent disruptions in its U.S. services. The White House dismissed this as a “stunt.”  

Trump Hints at Possible Extension

Speaking to NBC News on Saturday, President-elect Trump said he was considering a 90-day extension for ByteDance, which could allow TikTok to continue operations while a sale is in progress.  
"If it happens, it will probably be announced on Monday," Trump said.  

While the law permits the sitting president to grant such an extension, no concrete buyers have emerged so far. ByteDance, meanwhile, has reiterated its stance against selling TikTok.

Amid the uncertainty, artificial intelligence startup Perplexity AI has proposed creating a new entity by merging with TikTok’s U.S. operations. According to sources, the plan involves including other investors while allowing ByteDance’s shareholders to retain their stakes.  

Notably, Perplexity’s proposal excludes acquiring TikTok’s core algorithm, which has been a key factor in its global popularity.  

Other investors have also shown interest. Kevin O’Leary of Shark Tank fame, along with billionaire Frank McCourt, reportedly offered ByteDance $20 billion for TikTok. Meanwhile, former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin had announced plans last year to form an investor group to purchase the platform.  

Published 10:28 IST, January 19th 2025