TikTok goes offline in US ahead of ban on video-sharing app

TikTok went offline in the US, just hours before a new law banning it came into force on Sunday.

Several screenshots of the app shared on social media showed a message on the short-video platform stating that a law banning TikTok had been enacted, with the message, “Sorry, TikTok isn’t available right now.”

“We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office,” it stated.

A law that prohibits mobile app stores and internet hosting services from distributing TikTok to US users takes effect on Sunday.

Under the law passed by Congress and signed by US President Joe Biden last year, TikTok’s China-based parent company ByteDance had nine months to sell the platform’s US operation to an approved buyer. The law allows the sitting president to grant an extension if a sale is in progress.

Notably, US President-elect Donald Trump said Saturday that he “most likely” would give TikTok 90 more days to work out a deal.