TikTok Ban Goes into Effect Cutting Off Access for 150 Million Americans

What Happened?

The ban on TikTok went into effect Sunday, January 19, 2025, as the popular application voluntarily shut down operations in the United States in order to comply with federal law.

With the app no longer functioning in the U.S., roughly 150 million Americans will no longer be able to use the video sharing app, at least for now.

The Biden Administration said enforcement of the law banning TikTok would be left up to the incoming Trump Administration, but it remains unclear exactly what steps the new administration will take after the inauguration on Monday.

Users who try to access the app now see a message which 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!’

Why it Matters

While the duration of the ban remains unknown, the economic and social impact is already being felt. Influencers, advertisers, and casual users will be unable to load or view any video content on TikTok for the time being.

Tech giant Apple issued a statement on the TikTok ban saying:

‘If you already have these apps installed on your device, they will remain on your device. But they can’t be redownloaded if deleted or restored if you move to a new device. In-app purchases and new subscriptions are no longer possible.’

The federal law required parent company ByteDance to sell TikTok to an American owner by Sunday or face a nationwide ban. The statute was passed by Congress in April.

ByteDance sued and the case went all the way to the Supreme Court, which upheld the ban enacted by the original statute. TikTok says the cost to the American economy would be as much as $1.3 billion dollars per month that the app is offline. 

According to the Wall Street Journal, ‘The disappearance of TikTok threatens to erase billions of dollars from the U.S. economy and remove an important platform used by millions of American businesses and social-media entrepreneurs to connect with customers.’

Because the app is so popular in the U.S., the political pressure to restore the app as soon as possible will be on the Trump Administration after President-Elect Trump is inaugurated today.

How it Affects You

If you’re one of the millions of TikTok users looking for alternatives to the now (temporarily?) defunct app, several popular substitutes include Lemon8, YouTube Shorts, Red Note, Fanbase, Likee, and Snapchat Spotlight.

President-Elect Trump has said he will likely give TikTok a 90-day extension, though he did not indicate exactly when he might implement such a move.