TikTok, the popular social media platform owned by ByteDance from the Chinese mainland, has been suspended in the United States as a new law mandating its shutdown takes effect. The app, which boasts 170 million American users, disappeared from Apple and Google app stores late on Saturday in compliance with the law.
In a recent development, President-elect Donald Trump hinted that he might grant TikTok a 90-day reprieve after taking office on Monday. \"The 90-day extension is something that will be most likely done, because it's appropriate,\" Trump told NBC. \"If I decide to do that, I'll probably announce it on Monday.\"
TikTok informed its users around 10:45 p.m. ET that the app would no longer be accessible, citing the enacted law. The company expressed hope for a solution following Trump’s anticipated announcement. Other apps owned by ByteDance, including Capcut and Lemon8, were also removed from United States app stores.
The move comes after TikTok warned it would shut down in the United States on Sunday unless the incoming Biden administration offers assurances to major app stores like Apple and Google against enforcement actions related to the ban.
The law, passed last year and upheld by a unanimous Supreme Court decision, requires TikTok to sever ties with its parent company ByteDance or cease its United States operations, citing national security concerns. The White House has stated that the responsibility to act lies with the incoming administration.
Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre reiterated on Saturday that no immediate actions should be taken by TikTok or related companies pending the Trump administration’s assumption of office on Monday.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
