On the eve of a historic U.S. ban, TikTok ceased operations in the United States on Saturday night, just hours before the deadline set by new legislation.
This move has effectively cut off 170 million American users from one of the world’s most popular social media platforms.
Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur and CEO of X Corp, formerly known as Twitter, took to his platform, X, to express his opposition to the ban. “I have been against a TikTok ban for a long time, because it goes against freedom of speech,” Musk posted.
I have been against a TikTok ban for a long time, because it goes against freedom of speech.
That said, the current situation where TikTok is allowed to operate in America, but 𝕏 is not allowed to operate in China is unbalanced.
Something needs to change. https://t.co/YVu2hkZEVZ
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 19, 2025
He further highlighted what he perceives as an imbalance in international tech policy: “That said, the current situation where TikTok is allowed to operate in America, but X is not allowed to operate in China is unbalanced. Something needs to change.”
Musk’s comments underscore a broader debate about digital reciprocity and freedom of expression. While TikTok thrived in the U.S., platforms like X and Facebook are blocked in China, creating what Musk and others view as an asymmetrical dynamic in the global digital marketplace.
The sudden blackout was marked by a message to users stating, “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.”
This unprecedented action follows the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on Friday to uphold the ban on TikTok, which was legislated with extensive bipartisan support in Congress and signed into law last April by President Joe Biden.
The law mandates that no American company can host or serve content for TikTok unless the app severs ties with its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, by divesting its U.S. operations to an entity from the U.S. or one of its allies.
The U.S. government has long raised concerns over TikTok’s potential threat to national security, citing the app’s access to user data and its ties to the Chinese government. Critics argue that the app could be used to influence public opinion or spy on Americans. ByteDance has repeatedly denied these allegations, emphasizing that it stores U.S. user data in servers outside China and has proposed numerous measures to address security concerns.
For now, the ban leaves millions of creators, businesses, and everyday users searching for alternatives to a platform that has become an integral part of American culture. Meanwhile, ByteDance faces mounting pressure to divest its U.S. operations or risk losing one of its largest markets indefinitely.
As the world watches this unfolding saga, questions remain about the future of cross-border digital platforms and whether other nations might follow the U.S. lead in taking action against TikTok.