In a historic move, the United States government has officially prohibited a significant global social media platform, aligning itself with authoritarian states such as Russia and China. As of Saturday, TikTok has ceased to function, with users attempting to access the app met with a notification stating, “TikTok isn’t available right now.”
“We are pleased that President Trump has expressed his willingness to collaborate with us on a resolution to restore TikTok once he assumes office,” adds the notice. “Stay tuned for updates!”
This decision is the culmination of legislation passed by Congress the previous year, mandating that TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, must either divest its American operations or confront a nationwide ban. Unlike nations that routinely practice internet censorship, the United States lacks a centralized mechanism to block access to specific applications or websites for its citizens.
Instead, the law applies pressure on Apple and Google to eliminate TikTok from their respective app stores, or face the risk of incurring significant financial penalties. Both companies have reportedly removed TikTok and other applications owned by ByteDance as of Saturday. Requests for comments from Google and Apple went unanswered.
The legislation also prohibits firms from providing data hosting services to TikTok. Oracle, which considers TikTok one of its primary cloud computing clients, has allegedly begun instructing its staff to deactivate servers that host US TikTok data as of Saturday, according to The Information. Oracle did not respond to requests for comments.
Earlier in May, TikTok and a coalition of US content creators sought to halt the enforcement of the law, arguing that it infringed upon the First Amendment. The Supreme Court dismissed those claims in a unanimous ruling on January 17, determining that the measure was driven by “well-supported national security concerns.”
“This is a clear violation of the First Amendment,” states Evelyn Douek, a law professor at Stanford specializing in online speech. “Regrettably for me, all nine Supreme Court justices disagree, and practically everyone who matters will heed their judgment over mine. It’s difficult to seriously consider the national security rationale when recent statements from both past and future presidents, as well as congressional members, suggest they are reconsidering the necessity of an immediate shutdown.”
In the days leading up to the deadline, President Biden indicated that he would defer the enforcement of the law to the forthcoming Trump administration. This position left the future of the app uncertain, and TikTok urged the Biden administration on Saturday to offer clear assurances that it would not carry out the law. In response, Biden’s team recommended that TikTok express its concerns directly to Trump.
On Blind, an anonymous messaging platform favored by tech professionals, some TikTok employees voiced their anxieties about their job security in the coming month, while others continued their usual work routines. “Is anyone else’s manager still holding meetings next week regarding new projects without even mentioning the ban?” one user posted. “I have strategic planning meetings for 2025 next week,” replied another user. “I’m just following orders. It’s oddly reassuring.”
