]
TikTok had warned it would go ‘go dark’ by today
TikTok confirmed on Friday that it planned to go dark, saying in a post on X that it needs more clarity from the Biden administration and the Department of Justice regarding the ban that’s scheduled to go into effect today.
“The statements issued today by both the Biden White House and the Department of Justice have failed to provide the necessary clarity and assurance to the service providers that are integral to maintaining TikTok’s availability to over 170 million Americans,” the company wrote.
Read the full story here.
What some creators said ahead of the ban
In recent months, hundreds of TikTok users have lamented the looming ban, posting videos showcasing their anxiety, anger and grief as they prepare to lose access to it.
“There’s going to have to be sacrifices made, and it obviously does make me worry about everyday life, like groceries, rent, all those sorts of stuff,” Jonathan Miller, a songwriter and music commentator who has been a full-time creator since 2010, told NBC News in December.
Read the full story here
Lemon8 and other ByteDance-owned apps also unavailable in U.S.
Ahead of the ban, TikTok pushed some users to its sister app Lemon8. The app, which rose in the App Store charts this month, has a variety of features including an Instagram-like photo option, TikTok-like videos that appeal to users’ specific sensibilities and interests, and a Pinterest-like interface that allows users to interact with different types of content at once.
But on Saturday evening, Lemon8, as well other Bytedance-owned apps Capcut and Gauth, were also unavailable to many U.S. users.
That’s because the law, which was upheld by the Supreme Court on Friday, stated that any of ByteDance’s subsidiaries could be also be banned.
People flock to rival social media platforms to react to TikTok shuttering
On Saturday, some TikTok users moved to rival social media platforms to commiserate over the app’s shutdown.
The popular Liza Minnelli Outlives X account weighed in, alerting followers that the actress outlived the app, “forcing many people to find new ways to waste time.”
One user compared TikTok to the Detroit Lions because they were both “eliminated by Washington.”
Where President elect Trump stands on the TikTok ban
and
President-elect Donald Trump told NBC News “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker in a phone interview Saturday that he will “most likely” give TikTok a 90-day reprieve from a potential ban in the U.S. after he takes office Monday.
“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 said in the phone interview.
“If I decide to do that, I’ll probably announce it on Monday,” he said.
Read the full story here
Here’s what U.S. users are greeted with when they open the app
TikTok greeted users opening the app Saturday night with the message, “Sorry, TikTok isn’t available right now.”
“A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S.,” the message continued. “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!”
Read the full story here
