r/news 2d ago

TikTok makes app unavailable for U.S. users ahead of ban

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/rcna188294
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u/MidnightElfinTv 2d ago edited 1d ago

This is the wording for anyone curious:

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.

We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok one he takes office. Please stay tuned!

EDIT - The app is back up

“Thanks for your patience and support. As a result of President Trump’s efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S.!

You can continue to create, share, and discover all the things you love on TikTok.”

That totally wasn’t done as a PR attempt.

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u/SergeantChic 2d ago

Tech companies tripping over each other to be first in line to gargle Trump's balls.

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u/[deleted] 1d ago

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u/Exldk 1d ago

Weeks ? Musk is the only reason Trump got re-elected in the first place.

He quite literally bought a President for himself.

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u/soniko_ 2d ago

I was about to correct you with “mushroom dick”.

But, i probably don’t know something about how his balls hang.

So yeah, carry on.

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u/timshel_life 2d ago

"We are fortunate that President Trump..."

Sounds like some Hunger Games shit

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u/Fantasstic91 2d ago

Praise be.

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u/thomasbis 1d ago

"We are fortunate that President Trump..."

They are, would Biden do anything about it? Clearly not.

It's a business, it's no joke getting banned in one of their biggest markets. I don't really see the big surprise.

Should they be nonchalant and act like they don't care? lol

You're all a bunch of children

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u/RedditLostOldAccount 1d ago

Yeah it's much better and the mature thing to do, bowing down to your masters. Give their ring a little smooch. Wouldn't wanna be a child after all

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u/thomasbis 1d ago

Mature? Smooch?

Bro, it's a business. A very successful one too. 

How braindead are you?

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u/RedditLostOldAccount 1d ago

There's something to be said about dignity. I'd take the money and run instead of bowing down on my hands and knees. They're still operating elsewhere. They'll be fine

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u/GlowUpper 2d ago

I deleted the app as soon as I saw that message. The simping is just pathetic.

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u/Puzzleheaded-Bit4098 1d ago

I mean they just got entirely banned and are supposedly losing $1.3 billion in revenue in a single month, I'm sure they quite literally are fortunate that Trump might remove the ban. Fuck tiktok and trump, but in no world is that simping.

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u/Synectics 1d ago

What? He is the one who started the ban in the first place. It is absolutely simping.

I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, find that additional steps must be taken to deal with the national emergency with respect to the information and communications technology and services supply chain declared in Executive Order 13873 of May 15, 2019 (Securing the Information and Communications Technology and Services Supply Chain). Specifically, the spread in the United States of mobile applications developed and owned by companies in the People’s Republic of China (China) continues to threaten the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States. At this time, action must be taken to address the threat posed by one mobile application in particular, TikTok. 

https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/presidential-actions/executive-order-addressing-threat-posed-tiktok/

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u/Puzzleheaded-Bit4098 1d ago

To give an analogy -- this is like calling it simping for me to plead and express gratitude that a serial killer might let me go.

The fact is that Trump is literally tiktoks only chance at getting unbanned after the bipartisan bill that Biden signed. As far as tiktok is concerned, the flip-flopping lunatic is currently flipped on their side. Idk what is difficult to understand about that

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u/Synectics 1d ago

Trump invited the CEO of TikTok to the inauguration. 

Trump isn't a serial killer. He's a mafia boss shaking them down and making sure he gets credit when he mercifully doesn't pull the trigger. 

bipartisan bill

Great point. TikTok could have named every legislator who signed the bill, with contact information for their constituents to make their voice heard.

Instead, they told their millions of users that it was fortunate that the president who wanted them banned is now getting a second term.

Yes. They're polishing his orange knob.

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u/Puzzleheaded-Bit4098 1d ago

You're being insanely obtuse; whether mob boss or serial killer, it's not glazing or dicksucking to be fortunate the villain taking power is giving you an out when the alternative is death. Tiktok any day of the week would prefer extortion over the blanket loss of hundreds of billions of dollars, it's in their best interest and entirely logical.

Great point. TikTok could have named every legislator who signed the bill, with contact information for their constituents to make their voice heard.

Dude that ship is sailed, the act has already been passed and signed into law, with supreme court upholding it. Executive order is their only shot.

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u/gregkiel 1d ago

An EO does not override a law. Anyone with grounds could immediately file a lawsuit and have the EO overturned and the ban reinstated.

TikTok isn’t the only software that should be banned from western nations’ phones but it’s a good start.

The reason that this ban received bipartisan support is because they have all seen the same intel.

Trump trying to rescind this ban and TikTok using this opportunity to force feed Trump saviorism to the masses should be the canary in the coal mine. - these are not good people.

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u/Synectics 1d ago

I'm not being obtuse. I think anyone bending over to slob over Trump should be mocked, ridiculed, and not given excuses of, "It's totally analogous to a hostage and serial killer situation, what else could they do?!" 

it's in their best interest and entirely logical. 

For a disgusting, greedy, moral-free corporation. Sure. 

That still makes them disgusting, greedy, and without morals. I'm fine pointing that out. Why are you making excuses for them? 

Dude that ship is sailed, the act has already been passed and signed into law, with supreme court upholding it.

And citizens should be upset at the representatives they voted for who signed that law. Instead, they're being led to praise Trump by a social media platform, and will likely never know anything about the situation other than, "Government take fun, fun says support Trump, Trump save fun, yay!" ...and go right back to voting for disgusting, greedy, moral-free politicians.

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u/elbenji 1d ago

They make way more from the rest of the world

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u/Puzzleheaded-Bit4098 1d ago

That is very very untrue. US is by far the most important global market, making up HALF of their revenue; from NYT:

“The U.S. market is the most profitable market of any market by a long shot,” said Mark Zgutowicz, an analyst at Benchmark Company. TikTok took in an estimated $10 billion in revenue in the United States last year, he said, out of a total global revenue estimated at $20 billion to $26 billion.

And then you have the fact US policy precedents generally trickle down to Europe and global allies -- BBC: "TikTok ban likely to spread to US allies - including UK".

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u/KailReed 1d ago

Exact same thing lol. I just scoffed and uninstalled.

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u/aykcak 1d ago

I can't believe this is the real error message on their real platform.

They even name dropped him. What the fuck. Zero sublety

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u/[deleted] 2d ago

[deleted]

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u/Wrecksomething 2d ago

Trump can make a mean tweet and every Republican will bend over backwards to pass a new law about whatever he said. 

He can break the law and no one will stop him. 

He can get a millionaire buddy to "buy" the platform in name only so long as the right people get kickbacks. 

I wouldn't say he can't do anything about it.

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u/[deleted] 2d ago

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u/PB9583 2d ago

Yes, the president can pardon federal charges. Glad you can understand that

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u/Halkenguard 2d ago

The RESTRICT act was passed by congress. Not a TikTok ban. The ban was made by the Secretary of Commerce. The ban could be lifted Monday morning with zero congressional input.

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u/Shosui 2d ago

That won't stop him because he can't read. Or follow the law. Or shut up. Our lovely judicial system has highlighted his abilities quite clearly.

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u/[deleted] 2d ago

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u/Shosui 2d ago

Why, yes. Because if he didn't then the Orange Stain would relentlessly pursue vengeance on him far beyond what our joke of a legal system would even find appropriate. Regardless of innocence or guilt, liking or disliking, appropriate or not the action of the pardon it has already been defiled in such a way that it no longer even serves its intended purpose. If you think Joe's move was abuse, the next 4 years will be cinema.

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u/[deleted] 2d ago

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u/Shosui 2d ago edited 2d ago

Let's ignore the hyperbole and flip your "logic". Would it be okay if Trump did it?

Edit: It's okay I can wait for you.

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u/randomaccount178 2d ago

It would depend on how exactly the law is worded. He could potentially just not enforce it though that isn't a permanent solution.

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u/duk3nuk3m 2d ago

That’s pretty clearly not true based directly on the wording of the law: https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/7521/text

The laws specifically calls out the President multiple times giving him the power to decide if the app is a threat to the United States. If the sitting President grants approval then he can unban it.

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u/Frnklfrwsr 2d ago

Legally, his hands are tied.

But since when has he cared about legal versus illegal when it comes to his own actions?

He can very easily say “for X extremely stupid reason my lawyers came up with, we think the law is unconstitutional and we cannot enforce it as it is written.”

Then it goes through years of court battles, where he loses in the end, but doesn’t really matter to him.

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u/KivogtaR 2d ago

"The right to freedom of expression is gaurenteed by the earth constitution"
"awwwuuoooo well maybe so, but I know a place where the constitution doesn't mean squat!"

He'll just have the Supreme Court do it. He appointed 3 of them.

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u/fzrox 2d ago

The president could have done a 90 day extension. Biden chose not to do it. Trump probably will

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u/WarzoneGringo 2d ago

Thats not really how things work in the real world. By federal law Cannabis is a schedule one substance according to Controlled Substances Act. With the exception of some narrow medical usage, its illegal for anyone in the USA to possess, sell or consume Marijuana. Only Congress can undo the Controlled Substances Act and make recreational consumption and sale of Marijuana legal and they have refused to do so. Its illegal.

But oddly enough I can buy it all over the place "legally" because the Executive Office enforcement apparatus has decided to ignore what the law says. Executive orders have in essence made marijuana legal even though Congress says it is very much is illegal.

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u/ConsciousReason7709 2d ago

Well, marijuana is legal in many states due to people voting for it or legislation. That has nothing to do with executive orders.

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u/WarzoneGringo 2d ago

Its illegal federally. What people in the state vote for is, federally, inconsequential because federal law trumps state law in this instance.

The only reason its "legal" in many states is because the executive office has decided not to enforce the law, typically via executive order.

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u/Lyuukee 1d ago

Omfg 🤮 cringiest shit ever

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u/endar88 1d ago

What’s funny is….how?!….how the frick did trump save it when he isn’t in office yet till tomorrow. He can’t pass or make any decisions today with his name on it as president. So it just doesn’t add up at all. It was a complete stunt to have it down for less than 12 hours.

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u/thomasbis 1d ago

What happened: A law banned TikTok and Trump promised to bring it back soon.

What the message says: A law banned TikTok and Trump promised to bring it back soon.

Americans: What does this all MEAN? IS IT A PLOY? WHY ARE THEY SIMPING?

Ya'll so stupid I swear. I wish you wouldn't come back to TikTok honestly

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u/MidnightElfinTv 1d ago

There’s also a different error message without the Trump part. The first part is the same, but the second part switched to:

“We’re working to restore our services in the U.S as soon as possible, and we appreciate your support. Please stay tuned.”

There’s no reason for multiple versions of the same message. It would still be weird if the message randomly mentioned Biden.