Federal Ban Looming: TikTok Vanishes from Apple and Google Stores
On Saturday, January 18, 2025, TikTok ceased operations in the United States ahead of a federal ban, rendering the app inaccessible to U.S. users. Visitors to the app encountered a message stating, “Sorry, TikTok isn’t available right now. A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S.”
This action followed the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, which mandated ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, to divest its U.S. operations by January 19, 2025, or face a ban. In compliance with this ruling, Apple and Google removed TikTok from their U.S. app stores, preventing new downloads.
However, on Sunday, January 19, 2025, TikTok announced it was restoring services to U.S. users. This decision came after President-elect Donald Trump indicated plans to issue an executive order on his inauguration day to extend the deadline for TikTok’s compliance, allowing the platform to continue operations temporarily.
Despite the restoration of services, TikTok remains unavailable for download on U.S. Apple and Google app stores as of Sunday evening. Users who had previously installed the app can access it, but new users are unable to download it until further notice.
This situation has prompted many TikTok content creators to explore alternative platforms to maintain their online presence. Notably, gymnast and influencer Livvy Dunne, who boasts eight million TikTok followers, humorously suggested a shift to LinkedIn in light of the ban’s impact on her $9.5 million fortune.
The future of TikTok in the U.S. hinges on ongoing negotiations and forthcoming policy decisions. Users and creators are advised to stay informed about developments to understand how they may be affected.