Popular video-sharing social network TikTok has officially shut down in the United States, as a federal ban on the app comes into effect on January 19, 2025.
“We regret that the US law banning TikTok will take effect on January 19 and will force us to make our services temporarily unavailable,” the company said in a pop-up message. “We are working to restore service in the US as quickly as possible, and we appreciate your support. Please stay tuned.”
The immediate consequences of the ban mean that existing users will no longer be able to access TikTok content, and new users will not 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 Goth, have also become unavailable.
The development comes after the US Supreme Court unanimously upheld a law that said ByteDance would have to sell TikTok or effectively block it in the country for national security reasons and fears that Its recommendation algorithm may be vulnerable to manipulation by Chinese authorities.
The court further stated that TikTok’s scale and susceptibility to foreign enemy control, coupled with the large amount of personal information collected about users, requires a “differential treatment” with respect to First Amendment rights.
“There is no doubt that, for more than 170 million Americans, TikTok provides a distinctive and wide-ranging outlet for expression, a means of engagement, and a source of community,” the court wrote in its decision.
“But Congress has determined that divestment 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 US users either under US ownership or under another entity that addresses national security concerns identified by Congress in developing the legislation. The law was formally passed in April 2024.
The law was the result of years of debate over whether TikTok’s Chinese ownership poses a risk that US users’ data could fall into Beijing’s hands or be used to promote propaganda. TikTok has repeatedly said it operates independently of the government and has not received any requests about its data, while ByteDance has said it has no plans to sell the business.
Attorney General Garland said, “The Court’s decision enables the Justice Department to prevent the Chinese government from weaponizing TikTok to undermine America’s national security.” “Authoritarian regimes should not have unfettered access to the sensitive data of millions of Americans.”
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), in a statement, expressed disappointment over the Supreme Court’s decision to upload the TikTok ban, saying there are many ways in which America’s enemies can steal, scrape, and mine the data of its citizens. Have or can buy.
“A ban or forced sale of a social media app will do virtually nothing to protect Americans’ data privacy – only comprehensive consumer privacy legislation can achieve that goal,” EFF said.
“Shutting down communications platforms or forcing their restructuring based on concerns of foreign propaganda and anti-national manipulation is a highly undemocratic tactic, which the US has previously condemned globally.”
However, there are signs that the app may be getting a reprieve. Speaking to NBC News, US President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday said he would give TikTok a 90-day reprieve from the ban after taking office on Monday.
TikTok has faced similar issues in several countries, most famously being banned outright in India in June 2020. Late last year, the Canadian government ordered TikTok to end its operations in the country, citing national security risks.
That said, the unintended consequence of the TikTok blockade has been that US users are migrating to other Chinese alternatives like Rednote (aka Xiaohongshu) instead of Instagram and YouTube, which are increasingly concerned about foreign influence or interference through social media. could present a new challenge for concerned lawmakers in the U.S.
“I am concerned that Americans are flocking to too many rival-owned social media platforms,” Virginia Senator Mark Warner said in a post on Bluesky. “We still need a comprehensive and risk-based approach to assess and mitigate 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 US following the federal ban on TikTok. It states that “it is obliged to comply with 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 – Room Display
- Lark Rooms Controller
- Goth: AI Study Associate
- marvel snap
