Sun Jan 19 18:37:46 UTC 2025: ## TikTok Banned in US: App Unavailable for Download, Users Locked Out
**Washington D.C. – January 20, 2025** – The United States Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, enacted on January 19th, 2025, has effectively banned TikTok and several other ByteDance apps from US app stores. This means the app is no longer available for download or updates on Apple and Google platforms.
While existing users can currently access the app, ByteDance has proactively blocked service for US users, displaying a message stating the ban and expressing hope for a future resolution under President Trump. The act itself does not delete user data or accounts, but the long-term fate of this data remains uncertain.
The ban applies only to the distribution of the app, not to its current use. However, numerous attempts to circumvent the ban using workarounds are proving ineffective, and users are cautioned against engaging in such practices due to potential scams.
President Trump has offered a 90-day reprieve, contingent upon ByteDance making demonstrable progress in selling TikTok to a US company. Without a sale, the ban will likely remain in effect unless Congress repeals the Act. Apple and Google are expected to maintain the ban until the legal situation clarifies, to avoid potential billions of dollars in legal liabilities. The situation remains fluid, leaving millions of American TikTok users in a state of uncertainty.
First Piper 