TikTok says it’s restoring service in the US

It hasn’t even been a full day since ByteDance shut down TikTok in the US, and now it says it’s coming back. In a statement posted on X Sunday afternoon, TikTok wrote, “In agreement with our service providers, TikTok is in the process of restoring service.” The statement also thanked Trump, who will be sworn in on Monday and previously said he was considering giving TikTok an extension amid reports of potential bidders (though ByteDance has expressed no interest in selling). “We will work with President Trump on a long-term solution that keeps TikTok in the United States,” TikTok said.

At the time of this writing, the TikTok app is once again up and running for me despite previously showing a message saying I “can’t use TikTok for now.” CapCut, however, one of the other apps affected by the ban, still isn’t available. 

STATEMENT FROM TIKTOK:

In agreement with our service providers, TikTok is in the process of restoring service. We thank President Trump for providing the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will face no penalties providing TikTok to over 170…

— TikTok Policy (@TikTokPolicy) January 19, 2025

While the law banning TikTok was set to go into effect today, January 19, the outgoing administration has expressed that it would not be enforcing it in Biden’s final hours as president. MSNBC reported on Saturday that White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called TikTok’s threat to go dark “a stunt,” saying “we see no reason for TikTok or other companies to take actions in the next few days before the Trump Administration takes office on Monday.” But TikTok maintained that it couldn’t stay online without assurance that service providers would not be punished.

Trump chimed in on Sunday morning, writing on Truth Social, “I’m asking companies not to let TikTok stay dark! I will issue an executive order on Monday to extend the period of time before the law’s prohibitions take effect, so that we can make a deal to protect our national security. The order will also confirm that there will be no liability for any company that helped keep TikTok from going dark before my order.”

He also outlined a vague plan for how he envisions TikTok’s future in the US. “I would like the United States to have a 50% ownership position in a joint venture. By doing this, we save TikTok, keep it in good hands and allow it to say [sic] up. Without U.S. approval, there is no Tik Tok.”

Developing…

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/tiktok-says-its-restoring-service-in-the-us-175440013.html?src=rss 

Marvel Snap, CapCut, Lemon8 and other ByteDance apps have also shut down in the US alongside TikTok

It’s been unclear in the leadup to the TikTok ban what the fate of parent company ByteDance’s other apps would be, but now we know: they’ve gone dark in the US too. At the same time TikTok went offline this weekend, so did other apps ByteDance has developed or is affiliated with, including the popular video-editing tool CapCut, the social media platform Lemon8 and Marvel Snap. All are now displaying messages to US users that their services are unavailable. Ben Brode, Chief Development Officer for Marvel Snap developer Second Dinner, wrote on Threads that getting caught up in the ban “was a surprise to us” and that the team is working on getting it back online.

Second Dinner echoed this on X and in its in-app message to users, adding, “MARVEL SNAP isn’t going anywhere.” While Marvel Snap was created by the US-based developer, its publisher Nuverse Games is a ByteDance subsidiary. Other Nuverse games appear to be affected too.

CapCut and Lemon8 may be less surprising casualties, both having been developed by ByteDance, but given the law’s focus on TikTok alone as its target, their shutdown is still sure to come as a shock to many users. CapCut is widely used for video editing, especially among social media creators. And many TikTok users looking for an alternative in light of the ban flocked to Lemon8; just a few days ago, Lemon8 was the second most-popular app on the App Store.

On a new support page, Apple listed some of the apps that would shut down in the US and TikTok, CapCut, Lemon8 and Marvel Snap are all on there, along with Lark, Hypic — an AI photo editing tool — and Gauth: AI Study Companion. But there are many others that aren’t listed that may be swept up in it too. 

“Apple is obligated to follow the laws in the jurisdictions where it operates,” Apple said in a statement on the support page. “Pursuant to the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, apps developed by ByteDance Ltd. and its subsidiaries — including TikTok, CapCut, Lemon8, and others — will no longer be available for download or updates on the App Store for users in the United States starting January 19, 2025.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/marvel-snap-capcut-lemon8-and-other-bytedance-apps-have-also-shut-down-in-the-us-alongside-tiktok-153002137.html?src=rss 

TikTok is no longer available in the US

The switch has flipped on the US TikTok ban. TikTok’s app stoped working and was removed from the App Store and Google Play on Saturday night, just hours before the January 19, ban was expected to take effect.

People who have previously installed the app are instead greeted with a pop-up. “Sorry, TikTok isn’t available right now,” it says. “A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now. We are fortunate that president Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office. Please stay tuned.”

The notice gives the option to close the app or “learn more,” which directs to a page on TikTok’s website with similar language. Existing users can also download their data from the website. 

Following the passage of the “Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Apps Act” by President Biden, TikTok had six months to divest itself from Chinese parent company ByteDance. The company opted to fight the law, bringing a case to the Supreme Court that its First Amendment rights were violated by the measure. The Supreme Court was not swayed.

As part of the ban, Apple’s App Store, Google’s Play Store and any other app marketplace must remove TikTok or be subject to a fine of $5,000 for every user in the US that downloads the app. White House officials said earlier in the week that the ban would not be enforced during President Joe Biden’s final hours in office, but TikTok said that the government had “failed to provide the necessary clarity and assurance to the service providers that are integral to maintaining TikTok’s availability to over 170 million Americans.”

Multiple attempts have been made to ban TikTok in the US over concerns of spying, but this is the first time one has stuck, at least temporarily. President-elect Donald Trump was a major supporter of a ban during his first term in office and, ironically, isTikTok’s only hope of surviving after his second inauguration. Earlier on Saturday, Trump told NBC News that he would “most likely” grant a 90-day extension to the company after taking office.

Should an extension come, it’s not clear what kind of arrangement the company may work out to remain in the US after all. Perplexity AI has reportedly submitted a bid to merge with TikTok U.S, CNBC reported. Others, including investor Kevin O’Leary (of Shark Tank fame) have also made proposals or expressed interest in buying the service. 

Additional reporting by Karissa Bell.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/tiktok-is-no-longer-available-in-the-us-040204115.html?src=rss 

EV startup Canoo has filed for bankruptcy and stopped all operations

Canoo said on Friday night that it has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy and “will cease operations effective immediately,” after failing to secure enough funding to keep it going. The writing was on the wall for the EV startup leading up to the announcement; the company has lost multiple executives in recent months, announced furloughs and reported to the SEC in November that it had just $700,000 in the bank, per TechCrunch.

In a press release announcing the filing, Canoo said it was unable to get funding from the Department of Energy’s Loan Program Office or from “foreign sources of capital” that executives had been in talks with. “In light of the fact that these efforts were unsuccessful, the Board has made the difficult decision to file for insolvency,” it said. Canoo owes a total of over $164 million to hundreds creditors, and has about $126 million in assets, according to TechCrunch. Under the filing in Delaware, Canoo’s assets will be liquidated and the proceeds will be distributed to its creditors. In a statement, CEO Tony Aquila said, “We are truly disappointed that things turned out as they did.”

Canoo made a few electric vans for NASA and a prototype for the US Army, and had deals for larger fleets with the likes of USPS and Walmart, but only a small number of its vans appear to have ever materialized.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/ev-startup-canoo-has-filed-for-bankruptcy-and-stopped-all-operations-232719895.html?src=rss 

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