"Sorry, TikTok isn't available right now. A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the US. Unfortunately, this means that 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!"
- the message by app-owning China's ByteDance company, appearing on the screens of the US TikTok users, reads.
It is worth mentioning that during his first term (2017-2021), Trump presented quite a different approach, and tried to force the app's Chinese owner to sell TikTok by executive order.
The US Supreme Court on Friday dismissed TikTok's complaint against a law passed by Congress in April 2024, which prohibits the distribution and updates of the app on the US market as long as TikTok remains controlled by a Chinese entity. At the time, the new law in question was supported by a vast majority of congressmen from both parties.
The law was supposed to go into effect on Sunday - but immediately after the decision was issued, the White House announced that it would not enforce the law on the last day of President Joe Biden's incumbent administration, and was leaving the matter in the hands of Donald Trump.
In a CNN interview after the court's verdict was announced, Trump did not specify what he intended to do. He admitted that he would have to make a decision on the future of the app, and that he had spoken to Chinese leader Xi Jinping on the subject on Friday.
ByteDance has consistently announced that it will not sell the platform - and denied reports that the Chinese are considering selling it to Elon Musk, who has strong business ties in the People's Republic of China. Other businessmen associated with Trump's circle, including former Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, have previously expressed interest in acquiring the app as well.
American services, FBI included, have long warned of the potential dangers associated with the Chinese platform - including Beijing's possibility to use it to spy on or blackmail Americans, as well as to spread disinformation or influence public debate. Critics have pointed to the close ties between Chinese business and the communist authorities, as well as regulations that require companies in the People's Republic of China to cooperate with Chinese services.
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Source: IAR, PAP