TikTok has officially gone dark in the US as people trying to use app get unexpected message
TikTok has officially gone dark in the US following a divisive ban, with a message telling users that the social media app is no longer available.
Despite being one of the fastest-growing social media platforms in the country - helping to make the likes of Charli D'Amelio, Chris Olsen, and many more, household names - it was announced that the app would be banned this weekend.
Why has TikTok been banned in the US?
US officials have described TikTok and its parent company ByteDance as ‘a national security threat of immense depth and scale’, accusing them of having links to China.
Congress had already passed the law to ban the app in April, having offered ByteDance the choice to either sell TikTok to a non-Chinese owner or face a total shutdown.
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After the company opted for the latter, users were told if the US Supreme Court didn't step in, the platform would officially be shut down in the country.
Sadly for fans, the deadline came and went without any intervention.
What happens if you try and use TikTok in the US?
From today (Sunday 19 January), you will no longer be able to download the app from Apple, Google, or other known app stores in America.
If someone tries to access the app, a message now tells them that they cannot use it 'for now'.
"Sorry, TikTok isn't available right now," it says.
“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."
People were surprised when the app started logging users out late evening yesterday, with many expecting the message to appear around the Supreme Court's deadline.
This meant a number of users had been unable to download their own content, with one writing on X: “Bro tiktok literally started glitching as i was saving videos and BOOM it's gone.”
What's next?
There is a question of whether or not Donald Trump will be able to reverse the ban when he re-enters office next week - even though he was actually the one who proposed the move back in 2020.
He later became a huge fan of TikTok during his 2024 presidential campaign after managing to reach a huge audience through it, and also tried to intervene in the Supreme Court Case.
However, he has previously said the decision to ban the app should be 'respected'.
TikTok alternatives to download
TikTokers across the United States have been on the hunt for an alternative to their favourite app, with the most popular being a Chinese app called RedNote.
The platform is known in China as Xiaohongshu - Mandarin for 'little red book' - but is more of a hybrid version of Instagram and Pinterest.
Meanwhile, mainstream alternatives such as Snapchat, Instagram, Twitch, and YouTube Shorts also feature similarities to TikTok.
Topics: Social Media, Technology, US News, TikTok, News
Jess Hardiman