TikTok users get pop-up message about Trump after app goes offline in US
As TikTok was officially banned in the US last night, users received an unexpected pop-up message about incoming president Donald Trump.
The hugely popular social media platform – owned by Chinese tech firm ByteDance – was no longer available on Apple and Google’s app stores by 10.50pm EST.
Anyone in the US who tried to open their app encountered a pop-up message from the company that prevented them from scrolling on videos.
‘A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the US,’ the message said. ‘Unfortunately that means you can’t use TikTok for now.’
It then offered a beacon of hope to users in the form of Trump.
‘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!’ it said.
Some users took to other social media platforms to accuse Trump of being in on the message as part of a political stunt.
One, Amaya, wrote on X: ‘This is literally a stunt all planned by trump. look at how the message changed within 20 mins…. trump is gonna come in office and play savior by unbanning the app to get more sympathy and likes from the public. do not fall for this bs. #tiktokban’
In an NBC News interview Trump said he had not decided what to do about the ban but was considering granting TikTok a reprieve after he is sworn into office on Monday.
TikTok CEO Shou Chew is expected to attend Trump’s inauguration on Monday and sit on the dais.
The US government has accused the social media platform of posing a national security risk because of data harvested from users.
The federal law, signed by President Joe Biden last year, required ByteDance to divest its stake in the TikTok’s US platform or face a ban. ByteDance had nine months to sell the US operation to an approved buyer.
The company, and TikTok, chose to take legal action against the law and ultimately lost their fight at the Supreme Court on Friday.
Under the statute, mobile app stores are barred from offering TikTok and internet hosting services are prohibited from delivering the service to US users.
The Biden administration has said it will leave the law’s implementation to Mr Trump, given that his inauguration falls the day after the ban takes effect.
In a statement later on Friday, TikTok asked for ‘a definitive statement’ saying the Biden administration would not enforce the law or try to fine app store operators such as Apple and Google and other US companies if they do not stop making TikTok available on Sunday.
Without those assurances, TikTok said it ‘will be forced to go dark’.
Meanwhile, the chief secretary to the treasury Darren Jones told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme this morning there were no plans to ban TikTok in the UK.
He said: ‘We always keep all of these technology issues under consideration, whether it’s for national security or data privacy concerns.
‘We have laws in place and processes to do that. We have no plans right now to ban TikTok from the UK.
‘So, we won’t be following the same path that the Americans have followed unless or until at some point in the future there is a threat that we are concerned about in the British interest.’
Mr Jones said TikTik has not been allowed on government devices ‘for many years’.
He added: ‘The last Conservative government took the same position because there’s sensitive information on those devices.
‘But for consumers who want to post videos of their cats or dancing, that doesn’t seem like a national security threat to me.’
You can read our explainer on the reasons behind the US TikTok ban here.
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