Video-sharing app TikTok has gone offline in the US, hours before a new law banning the platform was due to come into effect.
A message appearing on the app for users in the US said a law banning TikTok had been enacted, meaning “you can’t use TikTok for now”.
TikTok was banned over concerns about its links to the Chinese government and had been given a deadline of January 19 to be sold to an approved US buyer.
President Joe Biden had said he would leave the issue to his successor. President-elect Donald Trump has said he will “most likely” give TikTok a 90-day reprieve from a ban once he takes office on January 20.
“The 90-day extension is something that will be most likely done, because it’s appropriate,” Donald Trump told NBC News on January 18.
“If I decide to do that, I’ll probably announce it on Monday.”
Users reported the app had also been removed from both Apple and Google’s US app stores and TikTok.com was not showing videos.“We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office,” the message displayed after the ban went into force read.
