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TikTok is going dark in the US<\/a> now that the ban-or-divest law passed last year is taking effect. The app is now gone from both Apple and Google\u2019s app stores, it\u2019s unavailable on the web, and users who open the app are blocked from viewing videos.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n This is despite the Biden administration saying it\u2019s passing enforcement responsibilities\u00a0on to the Trump administration<\/a>\u00a0and calling TikTok\u2019s threat to go offline\u00a0a \u201cstunt.\u201d<\/a> But TikTok insisted that without clearer assurances, it has to close up shop in the US. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n Inside TikTok, an email to employees said that \u201cPresident Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office\u201d on January 20th and that \u201cteams are working tirelessly to bring our app back to the U.S. as soon as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n On Saturday evening, starting at 9PM ET, a warning message appeared in two ByteDance apps, TikTok and CapCut, telling users of the pending shutdown. TikTok\u2019s message read:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n We regret that a US law banning TikTok will take effect on January 19th and force us to make our services temporarily unavailable. <\/p>\n We\u2019re working to restore our service in the US as soon as possible, and we appreciate your support. Please stay tuned.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n Both apps began blocking users around 10:30PM ET. A message now appears in the apps saying they aren\u2019t \u201cavailable right now\u201d but that the company expects a resolution under President-elect Trump. TikTok\u2019s message says:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Sorry, TikTok isn\u2019t available right now<\/p>\n A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately, that means you can\u2019t use TikTok for now.<\/p>\n 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!<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n The ban-or-divest law, which goes into effect on Sunday, effectively bans TikTok unless ByteDance sells much of its stake in the company. But ByteDance has shown little sign of being willing to sell, even as the deadline rapidly approached. Instead, TikTok sued the US over the law, ultimately losing in a Supreme Court case this past week.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n TikTok\u2019s new strategy appears to be relentlessly pandering to Trump, who \u2014 despite initially calling for the TikTok ban \u2014 has recently indicated that he wants to find a way to keep it around. Earlier today, he floated a 90-day extension of ByteDance\u2019s deadline to sell.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
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