TikTok Banned in the US at 03:00! Hope from Trump

The popular social media app TikTok has been banned in the United States. Since Saturday evening (local time), TikTok users who open the app are met with the following message:
“A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the US. Unfortunately, this means you cannot 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!”
TikTok’s administration had already informed users about this impending shutdown. In a statement released on Saturday, it was announced that the service would be temporarily suspended due to a law coming into effect on January 19. The statement also emphasized that efforts were underway to restore TikTok’s services in the US as soon as possible.
Oracle Shuts Down Servers
According to media reports, TikTok’s primary cloud service provider, Oracle, shut down the servers hosting TikTok’s US data at 9:00 PM local time (03:00 AM CET) on Saturday. The TikTok ban imposes severe penalties on companies like Apple, Google, and Oracle. These service providers face heavy fines if they continue to offer services to TikTok after the ban takes effect.
Ban Due to Espionage Concerns
TikTok and its parent company ByteDance are under suspicion of espionage due to their alleged ties to the Chinese government. Last year, the US Congress passed a law with broad bipartisan support, requiring ByteDance to sell its US operations by January 19. As a result of this law, TikTok’s operations in the US have been suspended.
Trump Suggests a 90-Day Extension
Hope for TikTok came from the future US President Donald Trump. In an interview with NBC News on Saturday, Trump suggested that a 90-day extension might be a possible option.
“I think that would certainly be an option we could consider,” Trump said. “A 90-day extension will most likely be implemented because it is reasonable,” he added. “If I decide to go forward with it, I will probably announce it on Monday,” he concluded.
The ban on TikTok in the US has garnered significant global attention. Users are now eagerly awaiting further announcements from the Trump administration, which could pave the way for the platform’s reopening.