TikTok went offline in the U.S. after a lengthy legal and political battle. The app had 170 million users, just hours before the ban was set to take effect. When users tried to open the app on Saturday night, they saw a message saying, "You can't use TikTok for now" due to the new law.

TikTok’s Response to Users

TikTok informed its users, saying, "We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office." The company had previously warned it would go offline unless the Biden administration assured them the ban wouldn't be enforced.

Trump Promises a Reprieve

Incoming President Donald Trump promised a 90-day reprieve for TikTok once he takes office. This is the first time a major social media platform has shut down in the U.S. with no clear indication of when it will return. The app has faced scrutiny due to its connection with ByteDance, a Chinese company.

App Removed from Stores

Hours before the shutdown, TikTok was removed from Apple and Google’s app stores. Several users also reported the app was unavailable on the web. The Biden administration dismissed the app’s threat to go offline as a “stunt.” It then handed enforcement of the law over to the incoming Trump administration.

Internal Emails and Shutdown Details

TikTok sent an email to its employees about the shutdown. The email reassured workers that, "President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office on January 20th." The company stressed that teams are working hard to bring the app back to the U.S. CapCut, another ByteDance app, was also shut down. Both apps began blocking users around 10:30 PM local time. The law effectively bans TikTok unless ByteDance sells a large portion of its stake. However, ByteDance has shown little interest in selling, and TikTok challenged the law in the Supreme Court, which upheld the ban.