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The United States users of TikTok have been left marooned as the popular short-video app shut down operations in the country following a federal ban.
The social media platform went dark around 10:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, January 18, 2025, 90 minutes before its expected shutdown deadline. Users received a pop-up saying: "Sorry, TikTok isn't available right now."
At the same time, the app was no longer available on Apple's iOS Store and Google's Play Store.
The development came after the Supreme Court, in a ruling last Friday, upheld the law prohibiting TikTok's continued operations in the US except the platform divested to a non-Chinese owner.
In April 2024, the US Congress enacted a bipartisan law mandating TikTok's parent company ByteDance to either bequeath the US version of the app to new owners who must not have any ties to Beijing or face a total shutdown slated to take effect on Sunday, January 19, 2025.
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However, the company said divestment “is simply not possible: not commercially, not technologically, not legally,” and subsequently challenged the statute at the apex court.
TikTok argued that the law would violate the free speech protections of its more than 170 million users in the North American country.
However, judges at the Supreme Court on Friday unanimously rejected the argument, sealing the fate of the video-sharing app beloved by so many.
“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,” a message to users attempting to use the app stated.
TikTok's attorney had told the apex court that the app would "go dark" on January 19. Its disappearance from app stores, which has prevented new downloads and updates, maybe the beginning of its journey to extinction in the US while the ban remains active.
Trump offers TikTok a lifeline
Reacting to the Supreme Court ruling, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew lobbied for the president-elect, Donald Trump to save his app.
“On behalf of everyone at TikTok and all our users across the country, I want to thank President Trump for his commitment to work with us to find a solution that keeps TikTok available in the United States,” he said in a video posted to TikTok on Friday.
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Meanwhile, the incoming president said on Saturday he would “most likely” give TikTok a 90-day reprieve from the ban after he takes office on Monday, January 20, 2025.
“The 90-day extension is something that will be most likely done because it’s appropriate.”
“If I decide to do that, I’ll probably announce it on Monday,” he told NBC.
Trump had earlier promised to make a decision on the matter in the "not too distant future".
"My decision on TikTok will be made in the not-too-distant future, but I must have time to review the situation. Stay tuned!" he said, urging everyone to respect the Supreme Court decision.