UPDATE: TikTok was back Sunday after the company announced there was an agreement in place just before 9:30 am
In agreement with our service providers, TikTok is in the process of restoring service. We thank President Trump for providing the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will face no penalties providing TikTok to over 170 million Americans and allowing over 7 million small businesses to thrive. It’s a strong stand for the First Amendment and against arbitrary censorship. We will work with President Trump on a long-term solution that keeps TikTok in the United States.
The TikTok ban began late Saturday.
Original
On Saturday, TikTok went dark hours before its ban was set to begin in the United States, causing uses to take to other social media platforms.
On Saturday, users were met with a message: “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.”
TikTok, one of the most popular apps and social media networks in the world, has 170 million users in the United States.
Its being reported that President Donald Trump could issue a 90-day extension to arrange for a sale to a US company.
Jan 17: Statement from White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre Regarding TikTok
The Administration, like the rest of the country, has awaited the decision just made by the U.S. Supreme Court on the TikTok matter. President Biden’s position on TikTok has been clear for months, including since Congress sent a bill in overwhelming, bipartisan fashion to the President’s desk: TikTok should remain available to Americans, but simply under American ownership or other ownership that addresses the national security concerns identified by Congress in developing this law. 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.
Jan 17: Justice Department Statements on Supreme Court’s Decision in TikTok, et al. v. Garland
The Justice Department issued the following statements from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco on the Supreme Court’s decision in TikTok, et al. v. Garland:
“The Court’s decision enables the Justice Department to prevent the Chinese government from weaponizing TikTok to undermine America’s national security,” said Attorney General Garland. “Authoritarian regimes should not have unfettered access to millions of Americans’ sensitive data. The Court’s decision affirms that this Act protects the national security of the United States in a manner that is consistent with the Constitution.”
“We welcome today’s decision by the Supreme Court. The Justice Department has long warned about the national security harms from PRC control of TikTok — including the ability to gather sensitive information about tens of millions of Americans and to covertly manipulate the content delivered to them,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “The Court’s ruling also underscores that the bipartisan legislation upheld today is focused on protecting Americans, not restricting free speech. Rather, this legislation is about breaking the ties that bind TikTok to the government in Beijing, in a manner consistent with the Constitution. The next phase of this effort — implementing and ensuring compliance with the law after it goes into effect on January 19 — will be a process that plays out over time.”
