The social media platform TikTok shut down its service in the United States shortly before a federal ban took effect at midnight on Sunday.
The company announced the shutdown in a pop-up message on the app that only allows users to “learn more” about the federal law or close the app. The message says, “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 app is also no longer available on the Google and Apple app stores. App providers risked massive fines of $5,000 a day per user if they kept offering the app.
TikTok previously told users at 9 p.m. about the looming shutdown in a pop-up message that said, “We regret that a U.S. law banning TikTok will take effect on January 19 and force us to make our services temporarily unavailable. We’re working to restore our service in the U.S. as soon as possible, and we appreciate your support. Please stay tuned.”
Users at the time, however, could dismiss the message and continue scrolling through videos. The app was completely shut down around two hours later.
TikTok’s shutdown comes as the company warned on Friday that it would “go dark” unless the Biden administration “immediately provides a definitive statement to satisfy the most critical service providers assuring non-enforcement” of a federal law upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court requiring TikTok to divest from its Chinese parent company ByteDance.
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The White House brushed off that threat of a service shutdown, with press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre calling it a “stunt.” Jean-Pierre advised that TikTok should work with the incoming Trump administration on the ban.
President-elect Donald Trump said Saturday that he’d “most likely” grant TikTok a 90-day extension to avoid a ban from U.S. app stores.