TikTok Goes Dark in the U.S. but Donald Trump promises to fix it

Over the weekend, millions of Americans experienced a social media blackout—but not because of a power outage. On Saturday night (Jan. 18), TikTok, the wildly popular short-video platform, abruptly went dark across the United States.

Users opening the app were met with a message that left many scratching their heads and refreshing their screens in disbelief: “Sorry, TikTok isn’t available right now. 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!”

President-elect Donald Trump has stepped into the spotlight once again, signalling that he might, just might, throw TikTok a lifeline. Speaking to NBC News earlier this week, Trump revealed that a 90-day extension to delay the ban is “most likely” on the table.

“I think that would be, certainly, an option that we look at,” Trump said. “The 90-day extension is something that will be most likely done because it’s appropriate. You know, it’s appropriate. We have to look at it carefully. It’s a very big situation.”

Of course, this wouldn’t be a Trump statement without a touch of unpredictability. “If I decide to do that, I’ll probably announce it on Monday,” he added, leaving TikTok’s fate dangling in suspense.

The shutdown comes on the heels of a unanimous Supreme Court decision issued on Jan. 17. The Court upheld Congress’s determination that TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, must either sell the platform to a non-Chinese buyer or cease operations in the U.S. entirely. The Court cited national security concerns, specifically TikTok’s data collection practices and its ties to China.

“For more than 170 million Americans, TikTok offers a distinctive and expansive outlet for expression, means of engagement, and source of community,” the Court acknowledged. “But Congress has determined that divestiture is necessary to address its well-supported national security concerns.”

Enter MrBeast, TikTok’s unexpected knight in shining armour. Earlier this week, the YouTube mogul made headlines by announcing his intention to save the app. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), he declared:

“Just got out of a meeting with a bunch of billionaires. TikTok, we mean business. This is my lawyer right here, we have an offer ready for you. America deserves TikTok! Give me a seat at the table, let me save this platform!”

The internet erupted in a mix of hope, skepticism, and memes. Could MrBeast and his billionaire posse actually pull this off? Only time will tell.

TikTok’s message to users promised that they’re “working to restore our service in the U.S. as soon as possible.” But with national security, international politics, and a possible change of ownership all at play, the timeline remains murky.

Meanwhile, Trump has submitted a legal filing requesting a delay of the January 19, 2025, deadline for ByteDance to divest from TikTok. The filing states: “President Trump takes no position on the underlying merits of this dispute. Instead, he respectfully requests that the Court consider staying the Act’s deadline for divestment of January 19, 2025, while it considers the merits of this case.”

Main Image: NPR

The post TikTok Goes Dark in the U.S. but Donald Trump promises to fix it appeared first on EntertainmentSA News South Africa.



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