TikTok Goes Offline in the U.S. Ahead of Federal Ban (Live Updates)

TikTok, one of the world’s most widely used social media platforms, went offline in the United States late Saturday evening, just hours before a federal ban was set to take effect. The move marks a significant disruption for the app, which has become a central platform for entertainment, education, and social interaction among its reported 170 million American users.

Upon attempting to access the app, users were met with a message stating: “Sorry, TikTok isn’t available right now. A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now.”

The abrupt blackout follows a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday to uphold a bipartisan law passed by Congress and signed by President Joe Biden in April. The legislation prohibits American companies from hosting or facilitating TikTok’s operations unless the platform is sold to a buyer based in the United States or a designated allied nation.

The ban is rooted in concerns over national security, as TikTok is owned by Chinese company ByteDance. U.S. lawmakers have expressed fears about the potential for data sharing with the Chinese government and its implications for user privacy and national intelligence. ByteDance has consistently denied these allegations, asserting that user data is protected and stored outside China.

TikTok’s decision to preemptively disable access underscores the app’s compliance with the new legal landscape but also highlights the unresolved tension between government policy and the platform’s significant cultural and economic footprint in the U.S.

While proponents of the ban argue it is a necessary step to safeguard national security, critics view it as a hasty and overly broad measure that sets a concerning precedent for regulating digital platforms. The coming weeks are likely to see intensified discussions about the role of government in mediating tech ownership and the broader implications for internet freedom.