Social media users are grieving the early enforcement of the TikTok ban in the U.S. While TikTok hopes to negotiate with President-elect Donald Trump, social media users remain suspicious of the incoming administration.
TikTok “went dark” on Sunday, January 19, following the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold federal law. As a result of this verdict, U.S. residents shouldn’t be able to download TikTok from the app store or browse its content. Although social media users were expecting the ban to happen on January 20, many have reported as early as January 19 that they were unable to access the app. The initial closing message informed users that TikTok will “work to restore” its services in the U.S.
Interestingly, the closing message featured a significant tweak later on. Reportedly, it now reads, “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!”
One poster on X said, “Grow a f— spine, TikTok.” Many who agreed with the sentiment were disturbed that TikTok was pandering to the incoming Trump administration. Another accused the TikTok ban of being a mere stunt so that President Trump could take credit for “lifting” the ban.
Trump’s role in the TikTok ban
Social media users haven’t forgotten that Trump himself opened the conversation for a TikTok ban. During his first term as president of the U.S., Trump raised the point that TikTok posed a national security concern. Because of that, Trump issued an executive order to ban TikTok. It wasn’t until his 2024 presidential campaign that Trump reversed his stance on TikTok. He proudly claimed, “I’m gonna save TikTok,” as if he didn’t play a part in its current predicament.
It’s unclear if TikTok will be accessible to U.S. users anytime soon, although TikTok has claimed it’s now working to restore service for American users. Although some users claim that they’re still able to open the app, it’s currently unavailable on the App Store.
Published: Jan 19, 2025 02:02 pm