TikTok officially shuts down in the US, hints at Trump giving a 'solution' soon

TikTok

TikTok has officially gone dark in the US as the ban on the app is now in effect. According to multiple reports, the TikTok app is not visible in the Apple App Store nor on the Google Play Store. The app is also currently unavailable on the web. Reports reveal that when users open the app, they are blocked from seeing any content. As of now, TikTok has not made any official comment on the app going dark.

Users who logged into the app were greeted with a notification which read: "Sorry, TikTok isn't available right now. A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately, that means you can't use TikTok for now. We are fortunate that president Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office. Please stay tuned."

However, a few hours earlier, TikTok sent a notification to users in the US on its Android and iOS apps informing that it is indeed shutting down its services. The notification which was sent to all app users was sent as an important update. The notification reads: “We regret that a U.S. law banning TikTok will take effect on January 19 and force used 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.”

The notification does say that the app will be temporarily available. However, it’s not clear whether the app will restore its services anytime soon.

According to a report by The Information, Oracle — TikTok’s official cloud computing provider in the US — is planning to shut off its servers, resulting in making the app inaccessible to users.

Earlier TikTok had issued a statement about going dark. “Unless the Biden Administration immediately provides a definitive statement to satisfy the most critical service providers assuring non-enforcement, unfortunately TikTok will be forced to go dark on January 19.”

TikTok is betting on incoming US president Donald Trump to give it a reprieve. Trump had issued a comment — late on January 17 — on the upcoming TikTok ban. Trump in a post on his social media app Truth Social said, “My decision on TikTok will be made in the not too distant future, but I must have time to review the situation. Stay tuned!”

As of now, according to reports, the app remains accessible in the US but is expected to shutdown in the next few hours.