ByteDance’s TikTok, CapCut, Lemon8 apps stop working for US users

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TikTok, CapCut, and Lemon8 also disappear from Apple and Google app stores in the US

A number of Bytedance apps — TikTok, CapCut, and Lemon8 — went dark in the US on Saturday, January 18, before a federal ban on TikTok, the Chinese-owned short-video app, took effect.

TikTok also disappeared from Apple and Google app stores. The move cuts off access to the platform that captivated nearly half of all Americans, fueled small businesses and shaped online culture.

President-elect Donald Trump said earlier in the day he would “most likely” give TikTok a 90-day reprieve from the ban after he takes office on Monday, a promise TikTok cited in a notice posted to users on the app.

“A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the US. 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,” a message on the app said.

Other apps owned by ByteDance, including video editing app Capcut and lifestyle social app Lemon8, were also offline and unavailable in US app stores as of late Saturday.

TikTok 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.”

It was not clear if any US users could still access the app, but it was no longer working for many users and people seeking to access it through a web application were met with the same message that TikTok was no longer working.

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 White House reiterated on Saturday that it was up to the incoming administration to take action, increasing the likelihood of a shutdown on Sunday.

“We see no reason for TikTok or other companies to take actions in the next few days before the Trump administration takes office on Monday,” press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.

TikTok did not respond to a request for comment on the new White House statement. – Rappler.com