TikTok shuts down in the United States hours ahead of a ban

 

TikTok went offline in the U.S. late Saturday night ahead of a ban scheduled to take effect. The ban, upheld by the Supreme Court, requires ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, to sell the app to a U.S. or allied buyer. The app displayed a message explaining the shutdown and hinted at a potential return if a solution is negotiated with incoming President Trump, who may delay the ban for 90 days.

The Biden administration deferred enforcement of the ban to the next presidency, but fears among service providers like Google and Apple prompted TikTok to preemptively suspend operations. ByteDance has resisted selling TikTok despite bipartisan concerns over national security risks tied to the app's Chinese ownership.

While some lawmakers remain firm on the ban, Trump has signaled openness to reinstating TikTok.

 Talks and potential solutions, such as mergers or executive orders, are expected to continue under the new administration. Meanwhile, alternative apps, including ByteDance’s Lemon8, gained traction in app stores.