'We're working to restore our service in the US as soon as possible,' said the Chinese-owned social media app in a message to its users in the country
Photo: Reuters file
US President-elect Donald Trump said on Saturday he would "most likely" give TikTok a 90-day reprieve from a potential ban after he takes office on Monday, as the app with 170 million American users buzzed with nervous anticipation ahead of a shutdown set for Sunday.
Users logging on late on Saturday were met with a message that said the law would "force us to make our services temporarily unavailable. We're working to restore our service in the US as soon as possible."
"The 90-day extension is something that will be most likely done, because it's appropriate," Trump told NBC. "If I decide to do that, I'll probably announce it on Monday."
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The Chinese-owned app, which has captivated nearly half of all Americans, powered small businesses and shaped online culture, said on Friday it will go dark in the US on Sunday unless President Joe Biden's administration provides assurances to companies such as Apple and Google that they will not face enforcement actions when a ban takes effect.
Under a law passed last year and upheld on Friday by a unanimous Supreme Court, the platform has until Sunday to cut ties with its China-based parent ByteDance or shut down its US operation to resolve concerns it poses a threat to national security.
The Chinese embassy in Washington on Friday accused the US of using unfair state power to suppress TikTok. "China will take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard its legitimate rights and interests," a spokesperson said.
In the meantime, TikTok and its aficionados geared up for goodbye.
Some on the app filmed themselves frantically scrolling or sharing final secrets with their followers ahead of the ban.
“Does anyone know if the TikTok ban goes into effect on Sunday or if we have all of Sunday to like brain rot still? I need to plan accordingly,” fitness influencer Britany Williams said in a video to her 64,000 followers.
Leaders at Oracle, the main cloud computing provider for TikTok's US operations, told some staff to prepare to shut down servers that host US TikTok data as soon as 9pm ET on Saturday (2.00 GMT on Sunday) in advance of ban from Sunday, The Information reported.
Oracle CEO Safra Catz is expected to give the final go ahead to cut off the servers, the report added, citing a person with direct knowledge of the plan.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew plans to attend the US presidential inauguration and attend a rally with Trump on Sunday, a source told Reuters.
Privately held ByteDance is about 60% owned by institutional investors such as BlackRock and General Atlantic, while its founders and employees own 20% each. It has more than 7,000 employees in the US.
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