President-elect Donald Trump cannot step in until he takes office, so TikTok cut off access to its American users late Saturday, just before a nationwide ban on the app was set to go into force.
“A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the US. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now,” said a message to users attempting to use the app.
“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!” the message added.
The US Supreme Court upheld a provision on Friday that would ban the well-known video-sharing platform in the name of national security unless its Chinese owners agree to sell it to non-Chinese bidders by Sunday, following months of legal battles.
TikTok has been hailed for its potential to turn regular users into international celebrities when a video goes viral, from grandmothers providing cooking advice to teenage dancers.
Trump, who has praised the app for helping him reach younger voters and help him win the election in November 2024, is another admirer.
After speaking with Chinese President Xi Jinping on TikTok, Trump told NBC News on Saturday that once he regains the White House, he could initiate a 90-day respite.
“I think that would be, certainly, an option that we look at. The 90-day extension is something that will be most likely done because it’s appropriate,” he said, ahead of Monday’s inauguration.
“If I decide to do that, I’ll probably announce it on Monday,” Trump said.
If the White House can demonstrate progress towards a feasible agreement, the statute permits a 90-day deferral, however, ByteDance, the owner of TikTok, has categorically rejected any sale.
White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre described TikTok’s recent remarks as a “stunt,” and the administration of departing President Joe Biden has stated that it will leave the issue to Trump.
The law requires Apple and Google to remove TikTok from their app stores, blocking new downloads; the companies could face penalties of up to $5,000 per user who can access the app; Oracle, which hosts TikTok’s servers, would also be legally required to enforce the ban.
Following the court defeat, TikTok CEO Shou Chew, who is also scheduled to attend Trump’s inauguration on Monday, appealed to Trump, thanking him for his “commitment to work with us to find a solution.”
Requests for comment on Saturday were not answered by any of the businesses.
A source familiar with the transaction told AFP that the highly-regarded start-up Perplexity AI made a last-minute approach on Saturday to merge with TikTok’s US division.
ByteDance, the parent business, could be able to find a solution through that agreement without having to sell the app completely.
The proposal, which was initially made public by US broadcaster CNBC, would combine the resources of Perplexity AI and US TikTok into a new joint company. Jeff Bezos, the creator of Amazon, has supported this idea.
Although the price of the deal was not specified in the proposal, the source calculated that it would be at least $50 billion.
Additionally, TikTok’s US operations have been offered for sale by former Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt, who has stated that he is “ready to work with the company and President Trump to complete a deal.”
According to Kevin O’Leary, a Canadian investor interested in the deal, ByteDance received a $20 billion bid for TikTok’s US business, as reported by Fox News.
He recognised the case’s legal ambiguity, noting that it is still unclear if Trump’s executive decision to halt the ban would supersede the legislation.
Adam Kovacevich, CEO of the Chamber of Progress, an industry trade group, cautioned that Congress constructed this bill to be practically impervious to the president.
“If an executive order conflicts with an existing law, the law takes precedence and the order can be struck down by the courts,” stated Sarah Kreps, a professor of government and law at Cornell University.
Due to TikTok’s forced shutdown, YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels, two of its US-based competitors, may profit.
In a defensive move, thousands of TikTok users have resorted to Xiaohongshu, or “Little Red Book,” a Chinese social media platform that resembles Instagram.
It was the most downloaded app on the US Apple Store this week and was dubbed “Red Note” by its American users.