TikTok has been officially banned in the United States following the implementation of federal legislation citing national security concerns over its Chinese ownership.
The ban, which came into effect on Sunday, prohibits the app’s operation in the US and mandates that ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, divest its ownership or face a permanent shutdown.
The decision was upheld by the US Supreme Court on January 17, rejecting TikTok’s argument that the ban infringes on free speech rights.
As of Sunday, TikTok is no longer available for download on Apple and Google app stores in the US. Existing users, numbering over 170 million, are now unable to access the app, with a message displayed stating: “A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the US. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now.”
TikTok, in a statement, expressed hope in President-elect Donald Trump, who has signaled his willingness to revisit the issue after his inauguration on January 20.
“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 company said.
The ban extends to other apps owned by ByteDance, including CapCut, a popular video editing tool, and Lemon8, a lifestyle-focused social app, both of which were removed from US app stores as of late Saturday.
