TikTok Goes Dark in the U.S. as Federal Ban Takes Effect

On January 19, 2025, TikTok ceased operations for its 170 million U.S. users following the enforcement of a federal ban. This action stems from the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (PAFACA), signed into law by President Joe Biden in April 2024, which mandated that TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, divest its U.S. operations by January 19, 2025, or face a nationwide ban.

The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of PAFACA on January 17, 2025, citing national security concerns over data collection practices and potential foreign influence.

In compliance with the law, Google and Apple removed TikTok from their app stores, and existing users encountered messages stating the app’s unavailability.

President-elect Donald Trump, set to be inaugurated on January 20, 2025, has indicated a willingness to grant a 90-day extension for ByteDance to divest its U.S. operations, potentially allowing TikTok to resume services during that period.

In the interim, many TikTok users have expressed their dismay, with some transitioning to alternative platforms such as RedNote.