TikTok has announced in a recent notification to users that it will be ceasing operations in the United States starting January 19. The platform indicated that it is “working to restore” its services in the U.S. “as soon as possible.”
The full wording of the notification users will see when accessing TikTok this evening is as follows:
Important update from TikTok
We regret to inform you that a U.S. law prohibiting TikTok will come into effect on January 19, which will necessitate a temporary suspension of our services.
We are making every effort to reinstate our service in the U.S. at the earliest opportunity and deeply appreciate your patience. Please stay tuned.
As of 9 p.m. ET on January 18, TikTok remains accessible within the United States. However, this is anticipated to change once it becomes midnight and January 19 begins.
The choice to shut down follows the failure of TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to evade a U.S. law mandating the sale of the app or face a federal prohibition. A nine-month timeframe was given to ByteDance to divest TikTok, which officially concludes at midnight tonight. TikTok even escalated its case to the U.S. Supreme Court, which upheld the law on Friday.
Political factors are also influencing this situation in the U.S. The ban is set to go into effect tomorrow, January 19, the last full day of President Biden’s administration. President Trump will assume office the following Monday.
In an interview with NBC News earlier today, Trump suggested that he will “most likely” consider a 90-day extension for TikTok:
“I think that would be, certainly, an option that we look at. 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,” Trump stated during a phone interview. “If I decide to do that, I’ll probably announce it on Monday.
If Trump goes ahead with this plan, TikTok may be reinstated in the U.S. as early as Monday for a period of at least 90 days. However, the future status beyond that remains uncertain.
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