- TikTok went dark for 170 million US users on Saturday.
- Users took to other corners of the internet to react to the shutdown.
- Internet personality James Charles, who has over 40 million followers, called the move “dystopian.”
Celebrities, influencers and business leaders reacted to the shutdown of TikTok in the US after it went dark on Saturday.
The likes of Elon Musk, Mark Cuban, James Charles and Alix Earle took to other corners of the Internet to react to the loss of the hit video-sharing app after it went dark for 170 million US users on Saturday.
Singer Lizzo, who has over 25 million followers on TikTok, took to Instagram to react to the news.
“In Loving Memory, Takesha ‘TikTok’ Woods,” the post read.
“They really got it… MY SHAYLA,” Lizzo added in the caption, referring to a recent trend on the app.
Internet personality James Charles, who boasted over 40 million followers on TikTok, also posted his reaction to the shutdown on Instagram.
In a video, Charles said: “I can’t believe I’m doing an Instagram feed right now because normally when something happens in the world, I go to TikTok.”
“I don’t know what to do! Oh my god, I’ve already opened and closed the app probably six times already just to keep getting the same stupid warning message. This is so dystopian!” Charles added in a follow-up video.
Another Instagram immigrant was Alix Earle, an influencer who rose to fame on the app in 2022 and has more than 7 million followers.
Earle posted a video of himself tearing up while clutching a glass of wine in bed. “How will I sleep tonight”, she wrote on the video. “Thank god for this summer rn.”
Key figures from the business world have also weighed in on the situation.
Elon Musk said he had long opposed a ban on TikTok as it “infringes on freedom of speech”.
“That being said, the current situation where TikTok is allowed to operate in America but X is not allowed to operate in China is unbalanced,” he said in a post on X. “Something needs to change.”
TikTok’s shutdown came after a months-long legal battle over a ban-or-sell law passed by Congress last year.
TikTok had challenged the law, arguing that it violated the First Amendment rights of TikTok and its creators. But the Supreme Court ruled against the company.
Posting on Bluesky, Mark Cuban said it would be interesting to see how many users moved to the platform from TikTok.
The social media app has seen a surge in users since President-elect Donald Trump was elected in November. In December, the company said it had grown from 3 million users to 25.9 million.
It is currently in the final stages of raising new funding led by Bain Capital Ventures, which would value the company at around $700 million, as Business Insider previously reported.
Before the shutdown, Cuban said he hoped TikTok would be “deactivated tonight at midnight and all day tomorrow and Monday.”
“Which means Monday’s biggest story will be… And the reaction from the newly installed president will be…”, he wrote.
Cuban has said he previously tried to invest in TikTok’s predecessor, Musical.ly, but the company turned him down.
In an interview with Jules Terpak in December, Cuban said the platform was nicer under its previous name and had become “more corporate” since it was known as TikTok.
“I liked it better when it was dancing and music,” Cuban said. “Now it’s a business.”
The “Saturday Night Live” cast also addressed the TikTok shutdown on last night’s episode.
During the Weekend Update segment, comedians Michael Longfellow and Michael Che addressed the situation by poking fun at the criticism the app has faced in the past.
“I feel it’s my responsibility to come out here and defend TikTok’s right to stay here in these United States,” Longfellow said, posing as a typical user of the app. “It’s the first political opinion I’ve ever had.”
TikTok is holding Trump accountable
Around 10:30pm ET on Saturday, a message started appearing on users’ screens: “Sorry, TikTok is not available right now. A law banning TikTok has been passed in the U.S. Unfortunately, this means that you can’t use TikTok right now.”
In the message, TikTok also indicated that it was now relying on Trump to save the app.
“We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to restore TikTok once he takes office. Please stay tuned!” it was said.
Trump on Sunday announced he would sign an executive order delaying the ban in order to “get a deal to protect our national security.”
Shortly after the president-elect’s comments, TikTok said in a statement to Business Insider that it was “in the process of restoring service” to its US users.
“We thank President Trump for providing the certainty and clarity needed for our service providers that they will not face any penalties while providing TikTok to over 170 million Americans and allowing over 7 million small businesses to thrive,” TikTok said.
It’s a huge pivot for Trump.
In 2020, Trump unsuccessfully sought to ban TikTok. However, during the 2024 presidential election, he embraced the social media app, which gave his campaign tremendous reach during a campaign where he was competing with Vice President Kamala Harris for the support of young Americans.
