Technology analyst and founder of “The Media Copilot” Pete Pachal joins “Mornings with Maria” to discuss President-elect Trump asking the Supreme Court to end the ban on TikTok and his administration’s focus on IA during his second term.
TikTok went dark for users across the United States on Saturday evening, as the app informed users of a ban that went into effect just days before President-elect Trump’s inauguration.
Users who tried to use the app on Saturday evening received the following message: “Sorry, TikTok is not available at the moment. A law banning TikTok has been passed in the United States. Unfortunately, this means that you can’t use TikTok at the moment.”
The app praised Trump, saying, “We’re fortunate that President Trump has indicated he will work with us on a solution to restore TikTok once he takes office. Stay tuned!”
The TikTok app was not available on Apple and Google’s app stores as of 10:50 p.m. EST because stores are barred from offering the app under a bipartisan law signed by President Biden last spring that required TikTok’s China-based parent company, ByteDance, to sell the platform by Sunday or face a U.S. ban. Internet hosting services are also prohibited from offering the service to US users.
TikTok informed its users on Saturday that it was no longer available due to the ban adopted in the United States, while claiming that President-elect Trump was working on a solution. (TikTok/Fox News)
Congressional lawmakers who supported the law say the measure is necessary to protect national security and prevent Americans from consuming what they describe as propaganda from foreign adversaries.
Hours earlier, the app informed users that the law banning TikTok would come into effect on Sunday.
Executives noted that the ban would “require” the company to make its services “temporarily unavailable.”
A screenshot of an update on the TikTok app on Saturday. (Fox News Digital / Fox News)
“We are working to restore our service to the United States as soon as possible and appreciate your support,” the statement said. “Please stay tuned.”
The White House said this week that Biden did not intend to enforce the ban, but that it would be up to Trump, who takes office on Monday.
The social media platform said it would “be dark” Sunday without a “definitive” statement from the Biden administration.
“The statements released today by the Biden White House and the Department of Justice failed to provide the clarity and assurance needed by service providers who are integral to maintaining TikTok’s availability for more 170 million Americans,” TikTok said in a statement posted on X.
The TikTok app logo is displayed on an iPhone. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis/AP Newsroom)
But White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called TikTok’s request a “set-up” and said there was no reason for TikTok or other companies to “take any action in the coming days before the Trump administration takes office.”
ByteDance had nine months to sell TikTok to an approved buyer, but chose, along with TikTok, to file a lawsuit against the law.
United States The Supreme Court confirmed Friday law, citing national security risks due to its ties to China, Fox News Digital reported.
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Trump said he needed to “reconsider” the ban before making a decision, and that he would “most likely” grant TikTok a 90-day extension from the Jan. 19 deadline after he takes office. If there was an extension, Trump said it would “probably” be announced Monday.
Trump said he would “most likely” give TikTok a 90-day extension. (Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images / Getty Images)
The law allows the sitting president to extend the deadline by 90 days if a sale is pending, although ByteDance has previously said it would not sell TikTok.
On Friday, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew thanked Trump in a video for his “commitment to working with us to find a solution to keep TikTok available in the United States. This is a strong stance in favor of the First Amendment and against arbitrary censorship.
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During the presidential campaign, Trump said he would “never ban TikTok” after joining the platform, but led calls for the ban during his first term.
Brie Stimson of Fox News Digital and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
