TikTok Ceases U.S. Operations as Government Mandates Enforcement

TikTok formally ceased its app operations in the US as a law banning the platform went into force on Sunday.

Under the legislation signed by President Joe Biden in April 2024, the app, which has more than 170 million monthly users nationwide, is now subject to stringent restrictions.

The new regulation makes it unlawful to update on TikTok and forbids new downloads from stores like Google Play and Apple’s App Store.

Even while current customers might have the app installed on their smartphones, the platform will become stagnant since they won’t receive any updates or improvements.

Beijing-based ByteDance, the parent firm of TikTok, has been at the center of controversy as national security concerns have been raised by U.S. senators.

Citing Chinese regulations requiring businesses to provide user data to the Chinese government upon request, critics claim that TikTok might be used as an espionage tool.

To continue operating in the U.S., ByteDance would be required to divest its American operations, a move that has not yet materialized.

This development underscores the escalating tensions between the United States and China over data privacy and security issues and represents a key turning point in the ongoing inspection of TikTok’s operations.