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TikTok has been reportedly banned in the US before the US government could take a call to stop its access around the country. A report by NBC News stated that the short video platform was not accessible to anyone in the US from January 18, 2025.
A post shared by Raws Alerts on Sunday, January 19, through X (formerly Twitter) featured the screenshot of a message that appeared on the app before it was banned. The message was marked as an "Important update" in the heading and it reads:
"We regret that a U.S. law banning TikTok will take effect on January 19 and force us to make our services temporarily unavailable. We're working to restore our service in the U.S. as soon as possible, and we appreciate your support. Please stay tuned."
However, on the same day, people were unable to use the app in the US and it had a new message for them, saying that they were unavailable due to a law related to their ban being implemented in the US. The message additionally reportedly mentioned:
"We are fortunate that President Trump had indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office."
According to NBC News, other apps from the video platform's owner Bytedance such as CapCut Lemon8 were also unavailable to anyone from the evening of January 18. Notably, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is reportedly attending the inauguration ceremony of Donald Trump on Monday, January 20.
Donald Trump to reportedly give a 90-day extension to prevent TikTok ban
The ban on the popular app was upheld by the Supreme Court on January 17, 2025. President Joe Biden's administration claimed around two days ago that the final call to ban the app would be made by Trump, who had once showcased his support for the ban.
On the other hand, Trump shared a post on TruthSocial on the same day, saying that everyone should respect the decision of the Supreme Court and continued:
"My decision on TikTok will be made in the not too distant future, but I must have time to review the situation."
According to CNN, the ban was approved and signed into law by Biden, which restricted American companies from providing anything that was owned by the Chinese social media platform. However, a condition was put forward, stating that they needed to sell the company to the US.
Trump also had a conversation with NBC News on Saturday, January 18, saying that he is yet to make a final decision related to the ban or its sale to a non-Chinese company. He said that he was supposed to provide an extension of 90 days to the second condition, adding that it is something that needs to be discussed.
"The 90-day extension is something that will be most likely done, because it's appropriate. You know, it's appropriate. We have to look at it carefully. It's a very big situation. If I decide to do that, I'll probably announce it on Monday," he mentioned.
The ban was specifically considered since the app was owned by a Chinese company and was a danger to national security. Another report by NBC News on January 16, 2025, claimed Biden's administration was trying to prevent the ban by looking at other possible options.
On the other hand, Deputy White House Chief of Staff Bruce Reed has reportedly received requests from the general public, requesting the president to not let the app get banned in the US. While Trump's inauguration ceremony is scheduled on Monday, it remains to be seen if the ban is permanently implemented in any manner.
