TikTok has officially suspended its services in the United States, cutting off access to the app for about 170 million users in the country.
The social media app shut down activities in the US on Saturday evening, hours before the official implementation of the federal ban.
TikTok had earlier announced that its services would shut down on Sunday unless the Biden administration assures that Apple, Google, and other service providers won’t face penalties for supporting the app.
But the US government described TikTok’s threat to shut down as a “stunt,” stating that there was no reason for the company to take any action before the Trump administration takes office on 20 January.
“We have seen the most recent statement from TikTok. It is a stunt,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.
According to multiple reports, users attempting to access the application encountered a notification stating, “Sorry, TikTok isn’t available right now. A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the US. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now.”
After discussing TikTok with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump told NBC News on Saturday that he could activate a 90-day reprieve after he reclaims the Oval Office.
“I think that would be, certainly, an option that we look at. The 90-day extension is something that will be most likely done because it’s appropriate,” he said, ahead of Monday’s inauguration.
“If I decide to do that, I’ll probably announce it on Monday,” Trump said.
