TikTok is down in the U.S. where it has been erased from Apple and Google’s app storefronts, the App Store, and Play Store respectively. Earlier this evening, TikTok users saw a message when opening the app that said the app would be “temporarily unavailable” in the U.S. In this message, TikTok said that it was working to restore the service in the states as soon as possible and ended the message by saying, “Please stay tuned.”
A second message, titled “Sorry, TikTok isn’t available right now,” stated that a law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. “Unfortunately that means you can’t use TikTok for now.” This message went on to say, “We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us in a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office. Please stay tuned!” Trump will become president once again when he is inaugurated on Monday.
While it would appear that Trump has gone from being a critic of TikTok to being a strong supporter of the site, in reality nothing has changed. Although the incoming president talks about being a TikTok star, he still wants the app out of the hands of a Chinese company like ByteDance and sold to an American person or firm just like he did in 2020.