Title: TikTok's Early Ban in the U.S. and Users' Unfiltered Reactions
TikTok's early exit from the U.S. was sudden, kicking users out late on Jan. 18, a day ahead of the Supreme Court's deadline. The app's abrupt departure left many users emotional and frustrated, especially those caught in the middle of saving their videos.
The app displayed a message acknowledging the U.S. ban, assuring users that President Trump indicated a desire to reinstate TikTok once he assumes office. Users were then directed to a page where they could download their data. Some reported experiencing glitches before the notification and subsequent forced logout.
"Bro, TikTok literally started glitching as I was saving videos, and BOOM, it's gone," shared one user on platform X. Another lamented, "No more TikTok, no more doom scrolling. It's over."
The Supreme Court's unanimous decision led to the U.S. ban, mandating TikTok to separate from parent company ByteDance or face removal from U.S. app stores and hosting services. Users' service providers, including Apple and Google, could face fines for each user accessing TikTok after the ban.
President-elect Donald Trump, who initiated the ban in 2020 due to national security concerns, assured followers on Truth Social that a decision was imminent. He could potentially extend the ban for 90 days if TikTok proves to be separating from ByteDance, showcases significant progress toward a sale, and finalizes the deal with relevant legal agreements.
The U.S. ban stemmed from concerns, mainly involving data security, manipulation of content, and compliance with Chinese national security laws, which demand organizations to cooperate with intelligence gathering. Fearing espionage or influence of U.S. public opinion, the U.S. government felt the need to enforce the ban.
If users want to preserve their TikTok content, they can save individual videos, bulk download using TikTok's options, third-party apps, or Chrome's DevTools Console. This process will ensure they don't lose valuable account data ahead of the app's inaccessibility.
"I've been trying to save my TikTok videos before the ban, but the app keeps glitching unexpectedly," complained another user. "Despite the Supreme Court's decision and TikTok's early exit, I'm still hoping for President Trump's promise of a potential reinstatement on his Truth Social platform."
