Apple tonight removed TikTok from the App Store in the U.S., meaning that the app can no longer be freshly installed on iPhones and iPads there. In other countries, the app remains available on the App Store and is fully functional.
iPhone and iPad users in the U.S. who already installed TikTok can no longer use the app either as of tonight, as TikTok has made the app "temporarily unavailable."
In the U.S., a law banning TikTok unless Chinese company ByteDance divests its ownership of the social media platform takes effect this Sunday, January 19. Lawmakers expressed concern that TikTok's ties to China pose national security risks.
TikTok is now showing the following notice to users who open the app in the country:
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!
U.S. President Joe Biden's administration on Friday said that due to the timing of the TikTok ban taking effect, actions to implement the law must fall to the next administration. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump will be sworn into office this Monday, January 20, and he reportedly might give TikTok a 90-day reprieve on the ban.
Biden believes TikTok should remain available in the U.S. under American ownership.
In a statement on Friday, TikTok warned that the app would become unavailable due to the Biden administration's lack of intervention:
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.
Unless the Biden Administration immediately provides a definitive statement to satisfy the most critical service providers assuring non-enforcement, unfortunately TikTok will be forced to go dark on January 19.
TikTok has followed through with making the app unavailable, and Apple has now taken action too. Apple could have faced fines amounting to billions of dollars had it still offered access to the app from January 19.
TikTok has also been removed from the Google Play store on Android.
This saga is far from over.
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