On the night of January 18 (local time), TikTok officially stopped operating across the US. Users can no longer access the application, while Apple and Google have also removed TikTok from their app stores.
Those trying to access TikTok in the US will now receive a message saying: "The TikTok ban has been enforced in the US. Unfortunately, that means you can't use TikTok right now. We're fortunate that President Trump has said he'll work with us to find a way to get TikTok back after he takes office. Stay tuned for more information."
Previously, a similar message had appeared, but users could still ignore it and continue using the app. However, from January 19, this was no longer possible when Oracle - TikTok's cloud computing partner in the US - directed employees to shut down the servers supporting this social network.
The move to shut down TikTok is in compliance with a law passed by the US government in April 2024 that requires ByteDance, TikTok's parent company based in China, to divest and transfer all of its US operations by January 19.
However, ByteDance has not made any moves to move forward with the sale of TikTok, and appeals to the Supreme Court have also been fruitless, as the court has ruled in favor of the law banning TikTok.
In that context, the only hope for TikTok and its 170 million users in the US depends on President-elect Donald Trump. Mr. Trump, who owned a sizable TikTok channel during the campaign, called for a delay in the ban to allow more time for negotiations.
On January 18, on NBC, Mr. Trump shared: "There will most likely be a 90-day extension, because it is appropriate. If I decide to do that, I will probably do it on Inauguration Day, January 20."
Not only TikTok, other ByteDance applications such as CapCut have also stopped operating in the US, marking a new turning point in the confrontation between the US Government and this Chinese technology corporation.
