A new US law banning the use of the platform went into effect on Sunday, the day before President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration. The ban follows months of legal battles and increased scrutiny of TikTok’s Chinese ownership.
“A law has been enacted in the United States to ban TikTok,” said a message to users trying to use the app, which is used by 170 million Americans. “Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now.”
In an interview with NBC News Network on Saturday, President Trump said he was considering extending TikTok’s continued operation for 90 days. If such an extension were to materialize, Trump, who previously supported banning TikTok, said it would “probably” be announced on Monday, when he takes office.
TikTok CEO Hsu Chu is expected to attend President Trump’s inauguration with a special seat.
“We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated his willingness to work with us on a solution to bring TikTok back after he takes office,” the app said in a message to U.S. users. “stay tuned!”
MNA