TikTok has suspended its services for US-based users, while Apple Inc. and Google have removed the platform from their mobile app stores to avoid penalties under a new law, as the social media company awaits a possible pardon from President-elect Donald Trump to continue his operations.
“A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the US,” TikTok said in an on-platform notification to users on Saturday night. “Unfortunately, this means you can’t use TikTok for now.”
Apple and Google removed TikTok from their US mobile app stores, as required by a law that took effect on Sunday. TikTok’s legal challenges failed to stop the measure, which was passed last year to address national security concerns.
Trump said Saturday he would “very likely” grant TikTok a 90-day reprieve from the law, giving Chinese-owned parent company ByteDance Ltd. more time to find a buyer. Trump also told NBC in an exclusive interview that he would likely announce this on Monday after he is inaugurated.
“We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reestablish TikTok once he takes office,” the TikTok notification continued. “Please stay tuned!” The note also directs users to a page to “learn more,” where they can download their TikTok data.
It was TikTok’s choice to suspend availability on Saturday night. The controversial law requires technology companies that host or distribute TikTok in the U.S. — such as Apple, Google and Oracle Corp. – stop doing this from January 19th.
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Companies found in violation could face huge penalties determined by “multiplying $5,000 by the number of users,” according to the law. In a country where roughly half the population is on TikTok — the app claims to have 170 million monthly users in the U.S. — these fines can add up quickly.
Removing the app from app stores wouldn’t have shut down the service immediately; Users who had already downloaded it could continue to use it, but they could not install software updates. The application would have deteriorated over time until it became unusable.
By taking the platform offline all at once, and sooner than expected, TikTok has a chance to mobilize its massive user base in protest. It’s possible that users will demand action from political leaders like Trump to reverse the ban.
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ByteDance also notified US users that it was shutting down a number of other apps it operates in the country, including CapCut, Lemon8 and Lark, a Slack-like productivity app. ByteDance’s gaming subsidiary Moonton also shut down its two mobile games.
The law, signed last April by President Joe Biden, required ByteDance to sell its U.S. TikTok business to address national security concerns, or face closure.
TikTok has already tried to use its popularity to change its destiny. The company encouraged TikTokers to call Congress to protest the bill and try to stop it from passing when it was first introduced. The strategy had the reverse effect at the time, fueling lawmakers’ fears about the app’s influence on US users.
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But given Trump’s recent support for the app, it may be more effective this time.
Trump, who tried to ban TikTok during his first presidency due to national security concerns, has since cozied up to the social media platform, speculating that it helped him win young votes during the election. Earlier this month, he made an unsuccessful attempt to pressure the Supreme Court to delay the law’s divestment deadline so he could negotiate a solution once in office.
TikTok CEO Shou Chew also spent time with Trump at Mar-a-Lago and is expected to attend his inauguration on Monday.
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Even before TikTok made the app unavailable, loyal creators were organizing online to pressure Trump to fulfill the promises he made during the campaign to be TikTok’s savior.
“This is a promise that Trump made and it’s a promise that he used to get large numbers of young people to vote for him,” TikTok influencer Tiffany Cianci told Bloomberg ahead of the company’s recent appearance before the Supreme Court. “We are calling on him to comply immediately.”
© 2025 Bloomberg L.P.
