TikTok has gone dark.
On Jan. 19, access to the site was blocked. Trying to access the mobile app returned a black screen with a white dialogue box that reads:
“A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for 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. Please stay tuned!”
A unanimous decision by the U.S. Supreme Court last week determined that a divest-or-ban law passed by Congress did not violate the First Amendment. That law forced ByteDance, the Chinese firm that owns TikTok, to find a buyer or be forced to shut down.
That hasn’t happened.
After the Supreme Court handed down its ruling, TikTok issued a statement that was critical of both the Biden administration’s and Dept. of Justice’s statements on the high court’s ruling, saying they “failed to provide the necessary clarity and assurance to the service providers that are integral to maintaining TIkTok’s availability to over 170 million Americans.”
Incoming President Donald Trump had urged the Supreme Court to delay its decision from last week until he takes office and tries to broker a deal for a new buyer for TikTok. That didn’t happen either but Trump has said he may sign an Executive Order that would essentially allow TikTok to restart after going dark a day before his inauguration.
“The Supreme Court decision was expected, and everyone must respect it. My decision on TikTok will be made in the not too distant future, but I must have time to review the situation. Stay tuned,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
TikTok’s going dark surely comes as a perhaps expected but still deflating development for the many small businesses, entrepreneurs, creators and more who promote their businesses, services, and content on the app.
