TikTok, the popular short-form video app, has gone dark in the United States, complying with a federal law that bans the app due to concerns over potential Chinese surveillance and propaganda. The app's disappearance from Apple and Google Play app stores began around 10:30 p.m. Eastern on Saturday evening, with users receiving a message stating, "Sorry, TikTok isn't available right now."

The message suggests that this may only be a temporary disappearance, crediting President-elect Donald Trump for indicating "he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office." Users are urged to "stay tuned!" for further updates. This move comes after TikTok warned earlier in the week that it would "go dark" unless President Joe Biden's administration made a "definitive statement" that it wouldn't enforce the ban.

The ban is a result of a bipartisan law passed in April, requiring TikTok's owner, ByteDance, to either sell the app or face a ban in the United States. President Joe Biden quickly signed the bill into law. While efforts to force ByteDance to divest go back to Trump's first administration, he has taken a different tone recently, asking the Supreme Court to delay the ban and stating he would "most likely" give the company a 90-day extension.

The Supreme Court issued a ruling upholding the law on Friday, and the Biden administration seemed inclined to leave the app's fate in the hands of the next president. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre noted that with the law taking effect right before Trump's inauguration on Monday, "actions to implement the law simply must fall to the next Administration." Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco issued a similar statement that "the next phase of this effort — implementing and ensuring compliance with the law after it goes into effect on January 19 — will be a process that plays out over time."

TikTok, however, suggested this was not enough assurance for "critical service providers" to continue listing or hosting the app in the United States unless the Biden administration made the aforementioned "definitive statement." Jean-Pierre called TikTok's response "a stunt" and claimed there's "no reason for TikTok or other companies to take actions in the next few days before the Trump administration takes office on Monday."

Despite the ban, Trump has said he plans to "negotiate a resolution" that would presumably involve a sale or other concessions from ByteDance, which has repeatedly said it's not interested in selling. Trump reiterated to NBC News on Saturday that he will "most likely" give TikTok a 90-day reprieve from the ban once he takes office Monday.

On Sunday morning, Trump posted that he would issue an executive order Monday delaying the ban, and he also expressed interest in a "a joint venture between the current owners and/or new owners whereby the U.S. gets a 50% ownership." Many potential buyers have thrown their hats in the ring, hoping for a shot at TikTok's 170 million users, from billionaire Frank McCourt making a "people's bid" to Perplexity AI proposing a merger.

There was even a report suggesting that the Chinese government was considering a sale to Elon Musk as part of a broader deal with the Trump administration. A TikTok spokesperson called that report "pure fiction." In the meantime, alternative Chinese-owned apps like RedNote and Lemon8 have received a boost as TikTok users search for alternatives. However, Lemon8 — which is also owned by ByteDance — is among the other apps that are now blocked.

The ban's implications are far-reaching, with many users and businesses relying on TikTok for entertainment, marketing, and social interaction. The app's disappearance has left a void in the social media landscape, and it remains to be seen how Trump's administration will handle the situation. As the situation unfolds, one thing is certain: the fate of TikTok in the United States hangs in the balance, awaiting a solution that will determine the app's future.