Celebrities, influencers, and business leaders react to US TikTok shutdown: 'This is so dystopian'

• TikTok went dark for 170 million US users on Saturday.
• Users have taken to other corners of the internet to react to the shutdown.
• Internet personality James Charles, who boasted over 40 million followers, called the move "dystopian."

TikTok shut down its app for 170 million US users on Saturday as the deadline for the app to go dark neared.

At around 10:30 p.m. Eastern Time, a message began popping up on users' screens: "Sorry, TikTok isn't available right now. A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately, that means you can't use TikTok for now."

Many celebrities, influencers, and business leaders have since taken to other corners of the internet to react to the loss of the hit app.

Singer Lizzo, who had more than 25 million followers on TikTok, headed to Instagram to react to the news.

"In Loving Memory, Takesha 'TikTok' Woods," the post reads.

"They really took her… MY SHAYLA," Lizzo added in the caption, referencing a recent trend on the app.

Internet personality James Charles, who boasted over 40 million followers on TikTok, also posted his reaction to the shutdown in a series of videos posted to Instagram.

In the first, Charles said: "I can't believe I'm making an Instagram Reel right now because normally when something happens in the world, I go to TikTok."

"I don't know what to do! Oh my god, I've already opened and closed the app probably six times already just to keep getting the same stupid warning message. This is so dystopian!" Charles added in a follow-up video.

Another Instagram émigré was Alix Earle, an influencer who rose to fame on the app in 2022 and who had more than 7 million followers.

Earle posted a video of herself tearfully clutching a glass of wine in bed. "How I'm going to sleep tonight," she wrote over the video. "Thank god for this wine rn."

Key figures from the business world have also weighed in on the situation.

Elon Musk said that he had long been against a ban on TikTok as it "goes against freedom of speech."

"That said, the current situation where TikTok is allowed to operate in America, but X is not allowed to operate in China is unbalanced," he said in a post on X. "Something needs to change."

TikTok's shutdown came after a monthslong legal battle over a ban-or-divest law passed by Congress last year.

TikTok had challenged the law, arguing that it violated the First Amendment rights of TikTok and its creators. But the Supreme Court ruled against the company.

Posting on Bluesky, Mark Cuban said it would be interesting to see how many users moved to the platform from TikTok.

The social media app has seen a surge in users since President-elect Donald Trump was elected in November. In December, the company said it had grown from 3 million users to 25.9 million.

It is currently in the final stages of raising new funding led by Bain Capital Ventures, which would value the company at around $700 million, as Business Insider previously reported.

Prior to the shutdown, Cuban said he hoped TikTok would be "disabled tonight at midnight and all day tomorrow and Monday."

"Which means the biggest story on Monday will be… And the reaction from the newly installed President will be…" he wrote.

Cuban has said he previously tried to invest in TikTok's precursor, Musical.ly, but that the company turned him down.

In an interview with Jules Terpak in December, Cuban said the platform was more enjoyable under its former name and that it had become "more corporate" since it's been known as TikTok.

"I liked it better when it was dances and music," Cuban said. "Now it's a business."

The cast of "Saturday Night Live" also tackled the TikTok shutdown in last night's episode.

During the Weekend Update segment, comedians Michael Longfellow and Michael Che addressed the situation while poking fun at criticism the app has faced in the past.

"I feel it is my responsibility to come out here and defend TikTok's right to remain here in these United States," Longfellow said, posing as a typical app user. "It's the first political opinion I've ever had."

TikTok is banking on Trump

In its message to US users, TikTok indicated that it was now relying on Trump to save the app.

"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.

Trump told NBC News on Saturday that he would "most likely" allow TikTok a 90-day extension to find a non-Chinese buyer.

"If I decide to do that, I'll probably announce it on Monday," he said.