Tech analyst and ‘The Media Copilot’ founder Pete Pachal joins ‘Mornings with Maria’ to discuss President-elect Trump asking the Supreme Court to halt a ban on TikTok and his administration’s AI-focused term his second.
TikTok went dark for users across the US late Saturday after the app notified users of a ban that went into effect just days before President-elect Trump’s inauguration.
Users who tried to use the app on Saturday night received the following message: “Sorry, TikTok is not available right now. A law banning TikTok has been passed in the U.S. Unfortunately, this means you can’t use TikTok for the moment.”
The app called out Trump, saying, “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!”
The TikTok app was not available in the Apple and Google app stores as of 10:50 p.m. EST, as the stores are prohibited from offering the app under a bipartisan law signed by President Biden last spring that required the parent company to China-based TikTok, ByteDance, to sell the platform by Sunday or face a US ban. Web hosting services are also prohibited from providing service to US users.
TikTok informed users on Saturday that it is no longer available due to the US ban, while stating that President-elect Trump is working on a solution. (TikTok / Fox News)
Lawmakers in Congress who supported the law claim the measure is necessary to protect national security and block Americans from consuming what they describe as propaganda from foreign adversaries.
A few hours ago, the app notified users that the law banning TikTok will come into force on Sunday.
Management noted that the ban will “force” the company to make its services “temporarily unavailable.”
A screenshot of an update on the TikTok app on Saturday. (Fox News Digital / Fox News)
“We are working to restore our service in the US as soon as possible and we appreciate your support,” the statement said. “Please stay tuned.”
The White House said this week that Biden had no plans to implement the ban, saying it would be up to Trump, who takes office on Monday.
The social media platform said it would “go dark” on Sunday without a “definitive” statement from the Biden administration.
“The statements issued today by the White House and the Department of Justice have failed to provide needed clarity and certainty to service providers that are integral to maintaining TikTok’s availability to over 170 million Americans,” TikTok said in a statement posted on X.
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The TikTok app logo appears on an iPhone. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis/AP Newsroom)
But White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre described TikTok’s request as a “stunt” and said there was no reason for TikTok or other companies “to take action in the coming days before the Trump administration takes the task”.
ByteDance had nine months to sell TikTok to an approved buyer, but chose, along with TikTok, to take legal action against the law.
The US Supreme Court on Friday upheld the law, citing national security risks due to its ties to China, Fox News Digital reported.
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Trump said he needed to “review” the ban before making a decision and that he would “most likely” give TikTok a 90-day extension from the Jan. 19 deadline after he takes office. If there is an extension, Trump said it would “probably” be announced on Monday.
Trump said he would “most likely” give TikTok a 90-day extension. (Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images/Getty Images)
The law allows the sitting president to extend the deadline by 90 days if a sale is underway, although ByteDance has previously said it will not sell TikTok.
TikTok Chief Executive Officer Shou Zi Chew thanked Trump in a video on Friday for his “commitment to work with us to find a solution that keeps TikTok available in the United States. This is a strong stance on the Amendment Before and against arbitrary censorship”.
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During the presidential campaign, Trump said he would “never ban TikTok” after joining the platform, but led calls for a ban during his first term in office.
Brie Stimson of Fox News Digital and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
