By Abubakar Yunusa
TikTok has been officially banned in the United States (US) following the implementation of a federal law citing national security concerns over the app’s Chinese ownership.
The ban, which took effect on Sunday, prohibits TikTok from operating in the country.
It also mandates that ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, divest its ownership or face a complete shutdown.
The US supreme court upheld the ban on January 17, dismissing TikTok’s claims that the legislation infringes on free speech rights.
According to Reuters, TikTok became unavailable for download on Apple and Google app stores in the United States, and the existing 170 million users are unable to access the app.
A message displayed to users reads, “A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the US. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now”.
The company also expressed hope in President-elect Donald Trump, who has said he would “most likely” grant TikTok a 90-day reprieve from the ban after taking office on January 20.
“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,” the company wrote.
The publication said other apps owned by ByteDance, CapCut, the popular video editing tool, and Lemon8, a lifestyle-focused social app, are no longer available in US app stores as of late Saturday.
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