TikTok isn’t working in the U.S.
On Friday, the Supreme Courtupheld a law that effectively banned TikTok in the U.S., starting today. The decision sided with the government’s national security concerns about the social media platform and its parent company, ByteDance, over arguments about free speech.
TikTok now displays a message explaining to users that a ban was passed, but “President Donald Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution,” asking users to “stay tuned.” Trump is expected to take office tomorrow.
TikTok-related posts have been trending on other social media platforms as users talk — and mostly joke — about the ban and its aftermath.
One user asked on X if non-Americans can still see the accounts or videos from Americans. Another profile jokingly offered to sell TikTok screen recordings to American followers, with some seeming willing to take up the offer, joke or not.
TikTok responded to the high court’s decision in a TikTok post, with Chew thanking President-elect Trump for his commitment to help find a solution and American users for being a part of the platform’s community.
Here’s what to know about the TikTok ban and what it means for users:
Is TikTok banned in the US?
A law effectively banning the TikTok app in the U.S. has gone into effect today.
Under the ban, the app would be illegal to distribute through the Apple App Store and Google Play. App stores removed the app, but they won’t delete it from devices on which it has been installed.
Did TikTok shut down today?
Yes.
TikTok’s sudden shutdown left over 170 million monthly users adrift, severing access to a platform that had become a staple of daily life. From teenagers tracking trends and staying connected with friends to creators who built careers and pursued internet stardom, the app’s loss has disrupted communities and livelihoods alike.
Can I still use TikTok after the ban?
Under TikTok’s plan to shut down the app, people attempting to open the app today see a pop-up message directing them to a site with details about the ban or prompting them to close the app.
Can I bypass the TikTok ban using VPN?
VPNs, or virtual private networks that hide your IP address and online activity by routing your internet traffic through a different location, aren’t working for most people.
“No luck with a VPN. Tried accessing from both Australia and the UK,” one person wrote on Reddit. “I’m actually outside the US right now and it still doesn’t work for even me,” another wrote.
Other workarounds like using the Tor browser, which allows people to use the internet anonymously by masking where their online traffic is coming from, also did not work.
What other apps have been banned?
TikTok’s app and web page warn that the platform is no longer available in the U.S., telling users the platform “isn’t available right now” but to “stay tuned!”
Apps that also shut down and now have similar notes include Lemon8, CapCut − Video Editor and Marvel Snap, as each platform has a tie to TikTok parent company ByteDance.
Will TikTok have to sell in order to operate in the US?
The law that bans TikTok in the U.S. could be disrupted if the social media app is sold.
“Our position on this has been clear: TikTok should continue to operate but under American ownership,” a White House official said Thursday. “Given the timing of when it goes into effect over a holiday weekend a day before inauguration, it will be up to the next administration to implement.”
Prospective and rumored buyers of the platform include YouTuber MrBeast, Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt’s Project Liberty and Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, among others.
TikTok ban cited in Wisconsin fire
A 19-year-old suspect cited the TikTok ban as the reason for setting a U.S. congressman’s office on fire in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, early Sunday morning.
The man, whose name was not immediately released, is being held at Fond du Lac County Jail and a charge of arson is being referred to the district attorney’s office, police said.
“We are relieved that no one was injured and the office was unoccupied at the time of the fire,” Fond du Lac Police Chief Aaron Goldstein said in a release.
Can Trump save TikTok?
President-elect Donald Trump, who first called for a TikTok ban during his first administration, has now said he intends to “save” the social media platform.
In a post on Truth Social, he said he intends to issue an executive order extending the period before the law would take effect and would allow the app to continue operating. He also said he “would like the United States to have a 50% ownership position in a joint venture.”
President Joe Biden declined to enforce the TikTok ban and decided this week to leave it up to incoming President Trump.
What happens to my TikTok shop orders?
TikTok Shop’s future remains uncertain at this time. For users who have placed orders or are waiting for an order to be processed or delivered, it is not clear how the ban will impact those orders.
Representatives for the social media company did not immediately respond about how the ban will impact TikTok Shop when contacted by USA TODAY.
House Speaker says they ‘will enforce the law’ against TikTok
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said the U.S. government will enforce the law banning TikTok, amid calls from President-elect Donald Trump to pause prohibitions.
Earlier Sunday, Trump wrote “SAVE TIKTOK!” in a post on Truth Social. Johnson told NBC’s Kristen Welker he understood that to mean that the president-elect – self-described and touted by allies as a master dealmaker – would want the chance to force TikTok’s China-based owners to sell.
“It’s not the platform that members of Congress are concerned about. It’s the Chinese Communist party,” Johnson told NBC. “The Chinese Communist Party is not our friend, and we have to make sure this changes hands.”
Trump shortly after posted on Truth Social that he intends to issue an executive order extending the period before the law would take effect.
The House Speaker said he is confident Trump, the leader of his party, will be able to find a solution. On Friday, Trump said he spoke to Chinese President Xi Jinping and that in that conversation, the pair discussed several issues, including TikTok.
More:TikTok ban looms, leaving content creators’ livelihoods in jeopardy
Contributing: Maureen Groppe, Mike Snider, Rebecca Morin, Jonathan Limehouse, Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY; Brandon Reid, USA TODAY Network
