By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – TikTok stopped working in the US late on Saturday and disappeared from Apple (NASDAQ:) and Google (NASDAQ:) app shops forward of a legislation that takes impact Sunday requiring the shutdown of the app utilized by 170 million People.
President-elect Donald Trump stated earlier within the day he would “more than likely” give TikTok a 90-day reprieve from the ban after he takes workplace on Monday, a promise TikTok cited in a discover posted to customers on the app.
TikTok, which is owned by China’s ByteDance, advised customers trying to make use of the app round 10:45 p.m. ET (0345 GMT): “A legislation banning TikTok has been enacted within the U.S. Sadly, which means you’ll be able to’t use TikTok for now. We’re lucky that President Trump has indicated that he’ll work with us on an answer to reinstate TikTok as soon as he takes workplace. Please keep tuned.”
Different apps owned by ByteDance, together with video enhancing app Capcut and life-style social app Lemon8, had been additionally offline and unavailable in U.S. app shops as of late Saturday.
“The 90-day extension is one thing that can be more than likely finished, as a result of it is acceptable,” Trump advised NBC. “If I resolve to try this, I will in all probability announce it on Monday.”
TikTok customers logging on late on Saturday had been met with a message that stated the legislation would “pressure us to make our providers briefly unavailable. We’re working to revive our service within the U.S. as quickly as attainable.”
It was not clear if any U.S. customers may nonetheless entry the app, however it was now not working for a lot of customers and folks searching for to entry it by an internet software had been met with the identical message that TikTok was now not working.
The Chinese language-owned app, which has captivated practically half of all People, powered small companies and formed on-line tradition, stated on Friday it can go darkish within the U.S. on Sunday except President Joe Biden’s administration supplies assurances to corporations equivalent to Apple and Google that they won’t face enforcement actions when a ban takes impact.
Beneath a legislation handed final 12 months and upheld on Friday by a unanimous Supreme Court docket, the platform has till Sunday to chop ties with its China-based guardian ByteDance or shut down its U.S. operation to resolve issues it poses a risk to nationwide safety.
The White Home reiterated on Saturday that it was as much as the incoming administration to take motion, growing the chance of a shutdown on Sunday.
“We see no cause for TikTok or different corporations to take actions within the subsequent few days earlier than the Trump administration takes workplace on Monday,” press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated in an announcement.
TikTok didn’t reply to a request for touch upon the brand new White Home assertion.
The Chinese language embassy in Washington on Friday accused the U.S. of utilizing unfair state energy to suppress TikTok. “China will take all needed measures to resolutely safeguard its legit rights and pursuits,” a spokesperson stated.
