TikTok Goes Dark for US Users, But App Says It's 'Fortunate' Trump Will 'Work With Us On a Solution'

TikTok has gone dark for U.S. users as a federal ban on the Chinese-owned app took effect on Saturday night, leaving its 170 million American users in limbo while President-elect Donald Trump hints at a potential reprieve.

Concerns over TikTok's Chinese ownership and its potential for data misuse led to a bipartisan law in 2023 requiring the app's divestment from ByteDance or an outright ban.

Negotiations between TikTok and U.S. regulators over a security framework failed to meet government standards, despite TikTok's $2 billion efforts under "Project Texas." The Supreme Court upheld the law, solidifying the January deadline.

As of Saturday night, TikTok preemptively went offline, notifying users that the app was unavailable. When users try to open the app they are greeted with an error message explaining that the app is offline.

"Sorry, TikTok isn't available right 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," the TikTok message reads.

Donald Trump, who takes office on January 20, signaled he may grant a 90-day extension for ByteDance to divest its U.S. operations. This delay would allow time to negotiate a long-term solution to address national security concerns.

If Trump extends the deadline, TikTok and ByteDance will need to re-engage with U.S. authorities to finalize a divestment plan or alternative security agreement.

Meanwhile, TikTok's user base faces uncertainty as the platform remains inaccessible pending further developments.

Originally published on Latin Times