TikTok went down for all American influencers and customers hours earlier than the January 19, 2025, ban went into impact. Once individuals within the U.S. opened their apps to seek out that they couldn’t publish movies anymore, social media blew up with memes and playful “RIP” jokes. The fan-favorite social media platform grew to become one of the fashionable around the globe, however TikTok was additionally the place many influencers acquired their begin. So, how lengthy might TikTok be banned within the U.S.?
Below is the whole lot we all know in regards to the TikTok ban and the way lengthy it might final.
Why Was TikTok Banned within the U.S.?
TikTok is now banned within the U.S. as a result of lawmakers in America raised issues in regards to the app’s safety. The authorities was nervous that the Chinese authorities might entry and steal American customers’ knowledge on the social media app, and in addition use it to unfold misinformation.
TikTok is owned by an organization named ByteDance, which is headquartered in Beijing, China. Congress gave them time to promote the app to a U.S. government-approved firm; in any other case the app can be banned in America. President Joe Biden signed the laws into regulation in mid-2024, and the Supreme Court upheld the laws shortly earlier than the ban went into impact in January 2025.
Can I Still Use My TikTok Account?
Technically, American TikTok customers can nonetheless use their accounts, however they will’t publish new content material, reload their mates’ posts or purchase something within the app’s store. Each customers’ profile and their movies haven’t been deleted, although. While making an attempt to open the app on January 18, everybody in America was greeted with the next message: “Sorry, TikTok isn’t obtainable proper now. A regulation banning TikTok has been enacted within the U.S. Unfortunately, which means you’ll be able to’t use TikTok for now. We are lucky that President Trump has indicated that he’ll work with us on an answer to reinstate TikTok as soon as he takes workplace. Please keep tuned! In the meantime, you’ll be able to nonetheless log in to obtain your knowledge.”
How Long Is the TikTok Ban?
Donald Trump expressed an curiosity in offering an extension to the authorized ban. When requested about it, he instructed reporters {that a} 90-day extension would “actually [be] an choice” to contemplate.
“The 90-day extension is one thing that will likely be almost certainly finished as a result of it’s applicable. You know, it’s applicable,” Trump mentioned, per NBC News. “We have to have a look at it fastidiously. It’s a really huge scenario.”
The Republican added that if he does “resolve” to do that, then he’ll “most likely announce it on Monday,” referring to his inauguration.