TikTok GoesOffline Amid US Ban Ahead of Schedule

In a sudden move, popular social media app TikTok went offline for all users in the United States late on Saturday night, hours before a new law banning the platform was set to take effect.

Upon launching, users found that the app displayed a message stating that a law banning TikTok had been enacted, and thus restricting its functionality until further notice. The notification read: "A law banning TikTok has been enacted; you can't use TikTok for now."

TikTok earlier warned that it would "go dark" on Sunday if the US government did not provide assurances regarding the ban's enforcement. However, just hours before the deadline, the app went offline without explanation.

President-elect Donald Trump had previously indicated that he would work with TikTok to find a solution upon taking office, offering a 90-day reprieve from the proposed ban. This move seems to be an attempt to mitigate the damage caused by the sudden and unexpected ban, and prevent widespread disruption to users across the US.