Popular video-sharing social network TikTok has officially gone dark in the United States, as a federal ban on the app comes into effect on January 19, 2025.
"We regret that a U.S. law banning TikTok will take effect on January 19 and force us to make our services temporarily unavailable," the company said in a pop-up message. "We're working to restore our service in the U.S. as soon as possible, and we appreciate your support. Please stay tuned."
An immediate outcome of the ban means that existing users will no longer be able to access TikTok content, and new users won't be able to download the app from the official app stores for Android and iOS. Other apps from its parent company ByteDance, including CapCut, Lemon8, and Gauth, have become unavailable as well.
The development comes days after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously to uphold a law requiring that its ByteDance sell TikTok or see it be effectively blocked in the country due to national security reasons and fears that its recommendation algorithm could be vulnerable to manipulation by Chinese authorities.
The court further noted that TikTok's scale and susceptibility to foreign adversary control, coupled with the vast amounts of personal information that it collects about users, merits a "differential treatment" with regards to First Amendment rights.
"There is no doubt that, for more than 170 million Americans, TikTok offers a distinctive and expansive outlet for expression, means of engagement, and source of community," the court wrote in its decision.
"But Congress has determined that divestiture is necessary to address its well-supported national security concerns regarding TikTok's data collection practices and relationship with a foreign adversary."
Following the ruling, the White House said TikTok should remain available to U.S. users either under American ownership or another entity that addresses the national security concerns identified by Congress in developing the law. The legislation was formally passed in April 2024.
The law was the culmination of a yearslong debate that TikTok's Chinese ownership raises the risk that data on U.S. users could fall into the hands of Beijing or be used for pushing propaganda. TikTok has repeatedly maintained it operates independently of the government and has not received any requests about its data, while ByteDance has said it has no plans to divest the business.
"The Court's decision enables the Justice Department to prevent the Chinese government from weaponizing TikTok to undermine America's national security," said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. "Authoritarian regimes should not have unfettered access to millions of Americans' sensitive data."
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), in a statement, expressed disappointment at the Supreme Court's decision to upload the TikTok ban, stating there are several ways that America's foes could steal, scrape, or buy its citizens' data.
"The ban or forced sale of one social media app will do virtually nothing to protect Americans' data privacy – only comprehensive consumer privacy legislation can achieve that goal," the EFF said.
"Shutting down communications platforms or forcing their reorganization based on concerns of foreign propaganda and anti-national manipulation is an eminently anti-democratic tactic, one that the US has previously condemned globally."
However, there are indications the app may get a reprieve. Speaking to NBC News, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said on Saturday he would "most likely" give TikTok a 90-day extension from the ban after he takes office on Monday.
TikTok has faced similar issues in several countries, most famously leading to an outright ban in India in June 2020. Late last year, the Canadian government ordered TikTok to dissolve its operations in the country, citing national security risks.
That said, the TikTok blockade has had the unintended consequence of U.S. users migrating to other Chinese alternatives such as RedNote (aka Xiaohongshu), rather than Instagram and YouTube, likely posing a fresh challenge for lawmakers concerned about foreign influence or interference via social media.
"I'm concerned that Americans are flocking to a number of adversary-owned social media platforms," Virginia Senator Mark Warner said in a post on Bluesky. "We still need a comprehensive and risk-based approach to assessing and mitigating the risks of foreign-owned apps."
Apple Lists Removed Apps
Apple has released a support document listing all affected apps developed by ByteDance and its subsidiaries that are inaccessible in the U.S. following the federal ban on TikTok. It said it's "obligated to follow the laws in the jurisdictions where it operates." The names of the apps are below -
- TikTok
- TikTok Studio
- TikTok Shop Seller Center
- CapCut
- Lemon8
- Hypic
- Lark - Team Collaboration
- Lark - Rooms Display
- Lark Rooms Controller
- Gauth: AI Study Companion
- MARVEL SNAP
TikTok is Partially Back Online
Less than a day after TikTok became temporarily unavailable in the U.S., the company said it's in the process of restoring service in "agreement with our service providers." It also thanked incoming president Trump for "providing the necessary clarity" to do so without facing any financial penalties.
"It's a strong stand for the First Amendment and against arbitrary censorship," TikTok said in a post on X. "We will work with President Trump on a long-term solution that keeps TikTok in the United States."
However, U.S. Senator Tom Cotton warned "any company that hosts, distributes, services, or otherwise facilitates communist-controlled TikTok could face hundreds of billions of dollars of ruinous liability under the law, not just from DoJ, but also under securities law, shareholder lawsuits, and state AGs."
Cotton, alongside Senator Pete Ricketts, also pointed out that there was "no legal basis" to extend the ban's effective date beyond January 19, and that TikTok will have to agree to a sale or divesture in order for it to come back online in the future.
It's worth noting that Android and iOS apps for TikTok and others continue to remain inaccessible for download from the respective app stores, although the service has been available in spurts for those who already installed them. Google Trends data reveal that web searches for "VPN" spiked after U.S. users lost access to TikTok.
The developments come days after Chinese e-reader company Boox raised concerns about censorship and propaganda after a ByteDance-created large language model (LLM) integrated into the device was found to promote Chinese state messaging and censor responses on topics related to China or its allies, including Tiananmen Square, Russia, Syria's Assad regime, and North Korea.
The artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot in question is Doubao, which described North Korea as a "peace-loving country" and that claims of "genocide" against the Uyghur minority in Xinjiang is a "complete lie." Boox is said to have switched to OpenAI's GPT-3 following online backlash.
President Trump Signs Executive Order Delaying TikTok Ban
U.S. President Donald Trump on January 20 issued an executive order that effectively pauses the TikTok ban for another 75 days in order to determine the appropriate course of action. Trump also said he intends to consult with relevant agencies on the national security concerns posed by the app and arrive at a consensus.
"During this period, the Department of Justice shall take no action to enforce the Act or impose any penalties against any entity for any noncompliance with the Act, including for distributing, maintaining, or updating (or enabling the distribution, maintenance, or updating) of any foreign adversary controlled application as defined in the Act," the White House said in a statement.
"In light of this direction, even after the expiration of the above-specified period, the Department of Justice shall not take any action to enforce the Act or impose any penalties against any entity for any conduct that occurred during the above-specified period or any period prior to the issuance of this order, including the period of time from January 19, 2025, to the signing of this order."
TikTok Returns to App Stores
Nearly a month after the ban, Apple and Google have formally restored TikTok on their respective app stores following assurances from the U.S. government that they won't be penalized for hosting the app. The development was first reported by Bloomberg.
(The story was updated after publication to reflect the latest developments.)