By Caleb Tobin
The social media app TikTok has officially gone dark after a months long battle to prevent the app from being banned in the U.S.
Users woke up this morning to a message on the app saying “Sorry, TikTok isn’t available right now.” The app has been removed from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
The move comes after ByteDance, TikTok’s China-based parent company, failed to sell the app to another buyer as required by law. Congress previously passed, and President Biden signed into law, legislation requiring TikTok to be sold to a non-Chinese buyer, or else face a ban in the U.S.
“Unless the Biden Administration immediately provides a definitive statement to satisfy the most critical service providers assuring non-enforcement, unfortunately TikTok will be forced to go dark on January 19,” the TikTok said in a statement on X on Friday.
The White House called TikTok’s statement a “stunt.”
Congress cited national security concerns as the main reason for passing the legislation, saying the Chinese government could force ByteDance to hand over its data on American users and manipulate the app’s algorithm to spread propaganda.
“There is the espionage threat, but there is also the propaganda threat,” said former Representative Mike Gallagher in a CBS News interview on Jan. 10. Gallagher co-authored the legislation with Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi.
“When your foremost geopolitical adversary controls what is increasingly becoming the dominant news platform in America, the risk of their ability to manipulate and change content... is too great, which is why we are insisting on a divestment, not a ban,” Gallagher said.
TikTok challenged the legislation in court, arguing the law violates the First Amendment. Oral arguments were heard on Jan. 10 in front of the Supreme Court, where justices appeared skeptical of TikTok’s free speech argument.
Noel Francisco, representing TikTok, said the legislation represented “a burden on TikTok’s speech.” He argued that the U.S. government has “no valid interest in preventing foreign propaganda,” instead saying that the government is attempting to stop Americans from being influenced by Chinese misinformation.
“That, however, is a decision that the First Amendment leaves to the people,” Francisco said.
Ultimately, the justices weren’t persuaded by TikTok’s arguments, with the court voting 9-0 to uphold the law requiring the app to be sold or face a ban.
The future of TikTok’s operations in the U.S. remains unclear. President-elect Trump, who supported banning the app during his first term, said he may grant an extension to allow more time for a non-Chinese buyer to purchase the app but has not outlined a specific plan.
The Biden administration is leaving the decision on whether to enforce the ban to the Trump administration, saying “Given the sheer fact of timing, this Administration recognizes that actions to implement the law simply must fall to the next Administration, which takes office on Monday.”
With over 150 million American users, TikTok is one of the most popular social media apps in the country, especially for news. A Dec. 2024 Pew Research article found that 52% of adults who use TikTok say they get news from the app.
TikTok is especially popular among teens and young adults. “59% of adults under 30 say they use the app,” according to the study, and 63% of teens aged 13-17 say they use the app.
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