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America’s favorite app just got cancelled.
TikTok went dark in the US on Sunday after the Supreme Court upheld a law banning the platform.
The app is now the first major social media platform to be blocked in the U.S.
Backstory: The bipartisan law, signed by President Biden in April 2024, gave TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, a choice: either sell the app to a U.S. buyer or shut down operations by January 19, 2025.
ByteDance fought back, claiming the ban violated the First Amendment, but the Supreme Court unanimously rejected this argument.
But TikTok’s troubles didn’t just start overnight.
- 2020: The Trump administration first attempted to force a sale of TikTok, citing national security concerns.
- 2022: TikTok began routing U.S. user data through Oracle to address privacy fears.
- 2023: TikTok’s CEO faced Congress to defend the app, but lawmakers pushed for a ban.
- 2024: Biden signed the law requiring ByteDance to divest or face a ban.
What happened: Yesterday, app stores removed TikTok as the ban took effect at midnight, and users lost access.
President-elect Trump hinted at delaying enforcement but has yet to act.
Meanwhile, talks of a potential sale remain in early stages, with names like Elon Musk floating as possible buyers and even Perplexity AI considering a possible merger.
For now, President-elect Trump has hinted at delaying enforcement but hasn’t acted yet.
Why it matters: This is bigger than TikTok. The ban sets a precedent for regulating foreign tech in the U.S., stoking debates over data privacy, national security, and free speech.
TikTok’s removal also creates a massive vacuum in the social media landscape.
Zoom out: ByteDance now faces pressure on two fronts: navigating U.S. regulations while dealing with Chinese oversight on any potential sale.
Fun fact: Duolingo is reporting a spike in Americans learning Mandarin to better use Chinese tik tok alternatives like RedNote.
