Chinese social media app TikTok blocked U.S. users before the ban that was set to happen Sunday. Users were greeted with this message when they tried to use the app:
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.
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!
Reports indicated the ban would initially only prevent new users from downloading the app, but TikTok chose to fully brick the app well ahead of schedule. This adds to the pressure put on President Donald Trump, who has indicated he’d consider a 90-day extension before enforcing the ban to allow the Chinese company time to find an American buyer.
The biggest goal for TikTok to pull the plug early and go completely dark was to stay at the top of the news cycle before the Inauguration. They wanted Sunday shows to talk about them instead of unrelated topics like Joe Biden’s legacy or the Inauguration itself.
It may work. Their choice of words about being “fortunate” because of Trump could push the President closer to helping them. With 170 million users who have the opportunity to see the message, it positions Trump to be their hero. Considering most TikTok users are young and left-leaning, this could be seen as a “unifying” moment in the early days of Trump’s presidency.
