TikTok Suspended in the US, Company Hopes for Trump’s Intervention

Author: Dian Kencana
January 19, 2025

TikTok to Challenge Ban Law in Court. (Photo: AP)

SEAToday.com, Washington - TikTok stopped working for users in the United States on Saturday (1/18) night and was removed from the Apple and Google app stores, ahead of a new law taking effect on Sunday (1/19). The law requires the shutdown of the platform, which is used by 170 million Americans.

President-elect Donald Trump has said he will likely grant TikTok a 90-day delay in the ban after he takes office on Monday. TikTok referenced this in a message to users on the app.

“A law banning TikTok has been passed in the U.S. Unfortunately, this means you can’t use TikTok for now. We are grateful that President Trump has said he will help us find a solution to bring TikTok back once he takes office. Please stay tuned,” the message said to users trying to access the app late on Saturday.

Even if temporary, this unprecedented shutdown of TikTok, owned by China’s ByteDance, could have a major impact on U.S.-China relations, U.S. politics, the social media industry, and millions of Americans who rely on the app for work and entertainment.

The U.S. has never banned a major social media platform before. The new law, passed by Congress, gives the incoming Trump administration broad power to ban or force the sale of other Chinese-owned apps.

Other ByteDance apps, such as CapCut (a video editing tool) and Lemon8 (a social lifestyle app), were also offline and unavailable in U.S. app stores by Saturday night.

Trump mentioned, “The 90-day extension is something that will likely happen, as it’s appropriate. If I decide to do this, I’ll probably announce it on Monday.”