TikTok warns US users of temporary service unavailability
TikTok has notified its 170 million US users about a temporary unavailability of the app due to a law requiring its Chinese parent company to sell its stake or face a ban by January 19.
TikTok has informed its 170 million users in the US that the app will be temporarily unavailable after a deadline expiration. This deadline requires its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to either sell its stake in the application or face a ban.
A pop-up message appeared for users on Saturday stating: "We regret that a U.S. law banning TikTok will take effect on January 19 and force us to make our services temporarily unavailable."
The company assured users that it is working to restore service in the U.S. as soon as possible and appreciated their support. Despite the looming ban, the app remained functional for users at the time.
On Friday, the US Supreme Court upheld legislation passed by Congress the previous year, mandating ByteDance's sale of the platform or facing a nationwide ban, primarily due to concerns it might be used by Beijing for espionage or to disseminate propaganda.
Presidential-elect Donald Trump stated on Saturday that he would likely issue a 90-day extension to the deadline upon assuming office on Monday.
However, the law will prohibit companies, including Apple, Google, and Oracle, from providing services to distribute or host TikTok, with potential fines of $5,000 per user for non-compliance.
Conversely, late on Friday, TikTok expressed that statements from the White House and the Department of Justice had "failed to provide the necessary clarity and assurance" to the service providers essential for maintaining TikTok's availability in the US. Without a "definitive statement assuring non-enforcement," TikTok claimed it would be forced to cease operations on January 19.
