170 million lost access to audiences around the world and seven million TikTok businesses were briefly shuttered.
As of this writing, TikTok is operational, though still not downloadable in app stores.
Of course, no one really knows what happens next.
TikTok CEO Shou Chew
Before we dive into the latest news, it’s worth getting a little background.
Not many people initially knew or cared about TikTok besides the teens who had previously used Music.ly.
The app’s popularity exploded, and it became a cultural phenomenon.
TikTok CEO Shou Chew
It was also around this time that US relations with China soured, and concerns about cyber espionage grew.
A Chinese-owned app in the hands of virtually every American suddenly seemed like a very bad idea.
Then President Donald Trump signed an executive order in 2020 to ban TikTok in the US.
Oracle would host the data, and US-based employees would manage virtually everything else.
He’s signaled that an exec order is on the way.
Stick with us for the latest on TikTok’s fate in the US.
Stick with this live blog for all the breaking developments.
Biden as rescuer?
Trump has recently signaled he might be in favor of keeping TikTok alive in the US.
TikTok CEO Shou Chew
There may be an interest in deferring the final decision to Trump when he takes office.
In other words, no one knows what’s going to happen on Sunday.
#TikTokRefugees
TikTok refugees are already planting flags on what they think are safer shores.
Incoming President Donald Trump
As a true Chinese app, it has none of TikTok’s US data protections.
For the moment, TikTokers seems reluctant to move over to US-based options like Instagram Reels or YouTube Shorts.
They may soon have no choice, though.
No one is ready to talk.
They were cheerful, weirdly positive, and focused on the future, as uncertain as it is.
They’re just doing what they can now and will react to the changes if and when they come.
The YouTuber is well known for stunts and this may simply be another one.
As I noted earlier ByteDance has never put the platform up for sale but Donaldson appears undaunted.
A special guest
Guess who’s coming to President-elect Trump’s inauguration on January 20?
TikTok CEO Shou Chew has an invite, that’s at least according to sources speaking toNBC News.
He may still demand a sale to a US company but just give TikTok more time to do it.
There is, however, an almost lone voice of dissent.
Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey has been a staunch Tiktok defender and a relatively new on-platform creator.
Markey introduced the “Extend the TikTok Deadline Act” in the Senate.
Leave it to…Trump?
That determination may be up to Trump who could on Monday after he’s inaugurated make that a priority.
That action, though, will come after the ban takes effect.
Third-party partners might not be comfortable with that.
They don’t want to end up paying fines, after all.
Again…so many questions.
I think I’m subconsciously trying to consume all of it before it’s gone.
This means I am seeing every single goodbye.
People crying, wondering if they can rebuild the community elsewhere.
They’re only partially correct.
I think back to when Vine (the 6-second video platform bought by Twitter) shut down.
If and when TikTok goes dark in the US, there will be a period of mourning.
So allow me these last scrolls; I want to have something to remember TikTok by.
I noticed at least one savvy brand jumping into the TikTok ban fray with a short but clever take.
According to the latest reports, the fast-paced open-world game won’t arrive until much later this year.
That’s 12 years after the last edition.
That long wait is what makes Wendy’s tweet so, so funny.
I’ll be keeping an eye on the socials to see what other brands do.
Clearly Cotton is no fan (though it also sounds like he’s never been on the app).
Apple’s App Store could keep hosting it without worry.
Oracle could keep hosting the data without concern.
None of this is confirmed by White House officials or TikTok.
The lack of a penalty would make that potentially moot.
As usual, nothing is certain and the clock is still tick-tocking.
Its the US Supreme Courts last chance to rule on the TikTok ban.
The social media companys chances with the justices were never good.
ItsFirst Amendment argument was thin, at best.
Even so, this should be the day if the judges plan to rule.
ByteDance, though, may still pull the app from the App Store until a ban is officially rescinded.
And its not clear that will ever happen.
The Supreme Court has signaled that it will rule on the TikTok ban at 10 a.m.
ET today pic.twitter.com/lBCkWpa1O1January 17, 2025
You know who might cheer the possible TikTok ban?
This data apparently came from inside Google.
TikTok has a hold on teens and young adults not just for entertainment.
They use it as a search engine to find and learn things and connect with products and even brands.
It’s also a news source.
Why Google Search when you’re able to TikTok?
Not forgetting the growing wave of AI-powered search, from Open AIs SearchGPT to Googles Gemini.
Even if TikTok goes offline, or the ban is temporary, search behavior is already changing.
Is the chill is fading?
Puro says a tentative “Hey” and the coworker offers an equally tentative “hey” back.
Her tone is hopeful but there’s something else there, too.
Take a look and see what you think while we wait for the SCOTUS ruling.
Incoming President Donald Trump wants to save it and could take action as soon as he enters office.
This show is still far from over.
The justices have no illusions about the data-collection practices of other, similar platforms.
“Data collection and analysis is a common practice in this digital age.
Now TikTok’s fate rests in the hands of two Presidents: one outgoing and one incoming.
The next 72 hours should interesting.
Chew never mentions current President Joe Biden or the Supreme Court.
Again, highlighting Trump’s performance on the platform seems to be about massaging the politician’s ego.
Our response to the Supreme Court decision.
Coping
The Supreme Court news wasn’t good.
They didn’t strike down the ban or even demand an extension.
The Justices basically said it does not rise to the level where the Court should intervene.
That’s positive news for TikTok fans, right?
Some TikTokers who do recurring bits on the platform seem stuck.
Guess the ball is now in Biden and the DOJ’s court.
Welcom to the “last day” of TikTok
At midnight ET TikTok may go dark.
Some believe the feed will disappear from the app.
Others believe the app might cease to open at all.
No one is clear on exactly how what TikTok terms “go dark” will manifest on the platform.
Is it possible that nothing else can get through or is this just what 170 million users are posting?
Yet US politicians could never agree on doing anything about them.
That was apparently a no-brainer.
Ever the creative bunch, TikTokers have crafted sometruly memorable and clever goodbyes.
90 day reprieve?
TikTok’s see-sawing fates continued on Saturday as the clock ticked down to a midnight ban.
Plus, he has not even fully decided that an extension is in order.
We know TikTok CEO Shou Chew is essentially putting all his money on Trump.
That seems unlikely to come today.
And so it probably will.
NEW: I talked to President-elect Trump in a phone interview this morning.
Users are starting to receive notices that the service will be temporarily unavailable.
If there’s any good news in this message is that even TikTok sees it as a temporary action.
It’s impossible to jump into the TikTok stream from here.
The true shutdown is underway.
kinda looks the shutdown will be a rolling process through the evening.
It’s safe to assume we’ll all be locked out by midnight ET.
BTW: If you follow the link to “learn more” on the Ban message.
it’s possible for you to sign on but only to download your TikTok data.
But Trump seems keen on addressing the outage currently in place across the US right away.
One might assume that he’ll grab the pen to sign it shortly after being inaugurated that day.
In fact, almost a dozen TikTok-parent ByteDance-related apps were removed from these stores yesterday.
It’s unclear if all would return if Trump signs his exec order or just TikTok.
ByteDance has thus far said TikTok is not for sale, and may not agree to such a plan.
Some users, this one included, found that TikTok was operational again.
TikTok still remains unavailable on the app store.
STATEMENT FROM TIKTOK:In agreement with our service providers, TikTok is in the process of restoring service.
A #TikTokban message appeared for US users.
That includes TikTok, but also other ByteDance services likeCapCutwhich has also been hit by the US ban.
Will ByteDance be prepared to entertain that idea?
Would it satisfy the law that Congress has passed?
TikTok is not out of the woods.
As of this writing, Tiktok and other ByteDance apps are still missing from the app store.
NEW: President Trump signs an executive order telling the U.S. Dept.
of Justice not to enforce the law banning TikTok for 75 days.
[The deal] “has to close.
I learned that from the people that own it.
If I don’t do the deal, it’s worthless.
If I do the deal, it’s worth maybe a trillion dollars.
So if I do the deal I’m talking about doing it for the United States.
If I do the deal for the United States, I think we should get half.
Trump is also leaving the door open to private ownership, as well.
Among those in contention for a private stake are reportedly Mr.
Beast, Elon Musk, and Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary.
I’ve contacted Tiktok for comment.
CapCut is back
The ByteDance corral is healing.
Let’s keep in mind that CapCut’s status is as tenuous as TikTok’s.
Their fate, though, remains tied to TikTok and ByteDance.
