Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
“I can’t believe I’m making an Instagram video to complain about it right now because usually when things happen in the world I go on TikTok,” influencer James Charles said in the video. picture on saturday night.
Mr. Charles, who has 20 million followers on Instagram, was responding to a notification that US users received last evening informing them that the app would be dark.
“We are happy that President Trump has announced that he will work with us on a solution,” the message said. “Please, please!”
As the shutdown approached, people seemed uncertain about what would happen and when.
“Non American, can you still find US accounts on TikTok or is it gone?” Tineke Younger, chef and content creator, asked her followers on X.
Many users responded that his video was still visible.
In the days before the ban took effect, even after the Supreme Court ruled that the service must be sold to non-Chinese companies or face a ban in the US, many TikTok users had hoped that The application is saved and the United States. users can continue to use it without interruption. Others tried to deal with humor, like the TikTok creators who staged a funeral — complete with coffins and makeshift eulogies — for the platform.
But on Saturday night in the United States, those hopes appeared to be dashed, at least temporarily. Alix Earle, the famous creator of TikTok, went live on Instagram to go live with her followers and take care of the news. Ms. Earle joked that she was trying to learn Mandarin to use RedNote, a Chinese video app that has become popular recently. He has been banned from that app, he said.
Some relief came on Sunday when TikTok announced that, after assurances from President-elect Donald J. Trump, it was working to restore the service to US users.
Prior to this announcement, TikTok users sought a solution to the ban in the form of a virtual private network, or VPN, which manipulates a user’s location. On Sunday, VPN requests in the US increased by 827 percent, according to Top10VPN, a VPN review site.
The assumption from some is that most TikTok creators will simply transfer their content to Instagram Reels, but not everyone is happy with this option.
“It was very disappointing,” said Casey Lewis, who writes for the youth culture magazine After School, about the use of Reels after the ban went into effect. “TikTok, the algorithm, just knows me and gives me everything I want to see.”
The top free apps in Apple’s app store after the ban are other TikTok competitors: Red Note and Likee, a short video app with its own “For You” page. The third most downloaded app is a VPN service.
Complaints about the closure are not limited to TikTok creators. Among those who backed TikTok after the ban was Elon Musk, a close ally of Mr Trump, who said he was opposed to the ban although he noted it would still be a direct competitor to his own website, X .
“The current situation where TikTok can work in America, but X is not allowed to work in China is unbalanced,” Mr. Musk wrote. “Something needs to change.”
Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky went so far as to join TikTok as a form of “civil disobedience” on Saturday, urging fans of the app to take action against videos posted on the platform and X.
“To the 170 million Americans who use TikTok: Don’t give up, don’t give up,” Mr Paul said. “Resist.”
The call for TikTok’s comeback seems to have been answered.
TikTok posted on X on Sunday that it was “in the process of restoring service” after Mr Trump assured that no one would face financial penalties for hosting TikTok for trying to find how the service complies with the law.
“We thank President Trump for providing the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will not face penalties for providing TikTok to 170 million Americans and allowing 7 million small businesses to thrive,” the statement said.
