TikTok, late Saturday stopped working in the United States and disappeared from Apple and Google app stores ahead of a law that takes effect Sunday requiring the shutdown of the app.
The incoming president, Donald Trump, had earlier in the day said he would most likely give TikTok a 90-day reprieve from the ban after he takes office on Monday.
TikTok, owned by China’s ByteDance, told users attempting to use the app around 10:45 p.m. ET (0345 GMT): “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.”
DAILY POST gathered that other apps owned by ByteDance, including video editing app, Capcut and lifestyle social app Lemon8, were also offline and unavailable in U.S. app stores as of late Saturday.
Trump said that the 90-day extension is something that will be most likely done, because it’s appropriate, adding that if he decides to do that, then he would announce it on Monday.
It was not clear if any U.S. user could still access the app, but it was no longer working for many users and people seeking to access it through a web application were met with the same message that TikTok was no longer working.
DAILY POST recalls that TikTok warned on Friday that it would go dark in the U.S. on Sunday unless President Joe Biden’s administration provides assurances to companies such as Apple (AAPL.O), opens new tab and Google (GOOGL.O), opens new tab that they will not face enforcement actions when a ban takes effect.
Under a law passed last year and upheld on Friday by a unanimous Supreme Court, the platform has until Sunday to cut ties with its China-based parent ByteDance or shut down its U.S. operation to resolve concerns it poses a threat to national security.