The ban comes after months of legal battles and increased scrutiny regarding the app’s ownership by a Chinese company. US President-elect Donald Trump posted “SAVE TIKTOK!” on Truth Social after TikTok ceased functioning in the United States late on Saturday, as a federal ban on the platform took effect.
The newly enacted law prohibiting the use of TikTok in the US came into effect on Sunday, just one day before Trump’s inauguration.
A message to users trying to access the app, which has 170 million American users, read, “A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the US. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now.”
In an NBC News interview on Saturday, Trump mentioned he was considering granting TikTok a 90-day extension to continue operations. He suggested that if such an extension were to be granted, it would “probably” be announced on Monday, his inauguration day.
TikTok CEO Shou Chew is expected to attend Trump’s inauguration with a prominent seating arrangement.
The app’s message to US users also stated, “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!”