It’s a strange and unprecedented day for social media in America: TikTok, a platform known for its viral dances, challenges, and a massive user base of 170 million in the US, has gone dark. The app, beloved by millions for its short-form video content, is no longer available on Apple and Google’s app stores. Online, the website is inaccessible, and if you try to open the app, you’ll find yourself unable to view any videos.

The shutdown stems from a law passed last year, known as the “ban-or-divest” law, which forces ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, to either sell off TikTok’s US operations or face a ban. The Supreme Court recently upheld this law, rejecting TikTok’s appeal on First Amendment grounds. With the deadline hitting on January 19th, TikTok has been forced to comply by shutting down its services.

Despite the Biden administration’s claim that this move by TikTok is a “stunt,” and their decision to pass the enforcement buck to the incoming Trump administration, TikTok has gone ahead with the shutdown. An internal memo to TikTok employees highlighted a silver lining, noting that President-elect Trump has expressed interest in finding a solution to bring TikTok back once he assumes office on January 20th.

The message to users who tried to access the app on Saturday night was straightforward:

We regret that a US law banning TikTok will take effect on January 19th and force us to make our services temporarily unavailable. We’re working to restore our service in the US as soon as possible, and we appreciate your support. Please stay tuned.

By 10:30 PM ET, the app was completely blocked, displaying:

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!

This isn’t just about TikTok; other ByteDance products like CapCut and Lemon8 have also gone offline, signaling the broad impact of this legislation on ByteDance’s portfolio.

The political maneuvering around this ban has been intense. Trump, who once vocally supported banning TikTok, has recently changed his tune, hinting at a possible 90-day extension for ByteDance to divest or negotiate a new path forward. This shift is seen by some as an attempt to avoid the political fallout of outright banning a popular app, especially considering the significant number of American users, particularly young voters, who use TikTok daily.

From a legal perspective, TikTok’s challenge to the law was based on claims that it infringed on free speech, but the Supreme Court’s decision was clear: national security concerns trumped those arguments. Critics of the ban argue that such measures might set a dangerous precedent for government control over social media platforms, potentially affecting how freedom of speech is interpreted on digital platforms.

The future of TikTok in the US remains uncertain. While there’s a glimmer of hope in Trump’s promise of an extension, the reality is that without a clear plan from either administration or ByteDance, the app might remain offline for an indeterminate period. This situation underscores not just the complexities of international business and politics but also the significant influence social media has on everyday life and discourse in America.