A brand new US legislation banning TikTok has come into impact, hours after the favored app stopped working throughout the nation.
Late on Saturday a message showing on the TikTok for US customers mentioned a legislation banning TikTok had been enacted, which means “you may’t use TikTok for now”.
The video-sharing app was banned over considerations about its hyperlinks to the Chinese language authorities. It was given till 19 January to be bought to an authorized US purchaser to avert the ban.
President Joe Biden had mentioned he would depart the problem to his successor, Donald Trump. The president-elect has mentioned he’ll “almost definitely” give TikTok a 90-day reprieve from a ban as soon as he takes workplace on Monday.
“The 90-day extension is one thing that shall be almost definitely completed, as a result of it is acceptable,” Trump instructed NBC Information on Saturday.
“If I resolve to do this, I am going to in all probability announce it on Monday.”
Customers reported the app had additionally been faraway from each Apple and Google’s US app shops and TikTok.com was not displaying movies, consistent with the phrases of the ban.
“We’re lucky that President Trump has indicated that he’ll work with us on an answer to reinstate TikTok as soon as he takes workplace,” a message displayed by the app learn.
It’s the first time the US has banned a serious social media platform.
On Friday, the US Supreme Court docket upheld the legislation, handed in April final 12 months, banning the app within the US except its China-based mum or dad firm, ByteDance, bought the platform by Sunday, which it has not completed.
TikTok has argued that the legislation violates free speech protections for its 170 million customers within the nation.
After the ruling, TikTok’s chief govt, Shou Zi Chew, appealed to Trump, thanking him for his “dedication to work with us to discover a resolution”.
Mr Chew is anticipated to attend Trump’s inauguration on Monday.
Within the hours main up to the social media platform going offline, content material creators had been posting movies to say goodbye to their followers.
Creator Nicole Bloomgarden instructed the BBC that not being on TikTok would lead to a major wage reduce.
One other person, Erika Thompson, mentioned instructional content material on the platform can be the “greatest loss” for the neighborhood.
TikTok customers have been met with a message earlier on Saturday that mentioned the legislation would “pressure us to make our providers quickly unavailable. We’re working to revive our service within the U.S. as quickly as doable.”
In the meantime, a authorities minister instructed the BBC on Sunday that the UK had no plans to ban TikTok.
“We can’t be following the identical path because the Individuals except or till… there’s a risk that we’re involved about within the British curiosity, after which in fact we are going to hold it below assessment,” Chief Secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones mentioned.
The app was banned from the UK Parliament and authorities gadgets in 2023 over safety considerations.
However Jones instructed Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg that “for shoppers who need to publish movies of their cats dancing, that does not look like a safety risk to me”.
