PinPINNEDTODAY, 37 minutes agoRichard LawlerTikTok is down in the US Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty ImagesTikTok has gone dark in the US now that the ban-or-divest law passed last year is taking effect. The app has been removed from both Apple and Googles app stores, its unavailable on the web, and users who open the app are blocked from viewing videos.The shutdown has the astonishing effect of removing a social network used by 170 million people in the US, according to TikToks own numbers. While other social media platforms have experienced outages, even prolonged ones, no network as big as TikTok has simply shut down without any indication of if or when it will come back online.Read Article >TODAY, 41 minutes agoBarbara KrasnoffHow to bulk download and save your TikTok videos Illustration by Samar Haddad / The VergeTheres a general sense of doom on the TikTok feeds these days, and no wonder: it looks like the video service may be banned in the US as of January 19th. TikTok creators are offering satirical goodbyes to their Chinese spies and wondering how quickly they can download the several hundred or thousand videos they have up on the service.TikTok itself apparently doesnt like the idea of allowing its creators to bulk download their videos. You can download in TXT or JSON format a certain amount of your data, which, according to the support page, may include but is not limited to your username, watch video history, comment history, and privacy settings. When I tried it, it did not include my videos.Read Article >TODAY, Two hours agoAlex HeathTikTok will be temporarily unavailable in the US starting tonight Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty ImagesTikTok is officially going dark in the United States now that a federal ban on the app is set to go into effect on January 19th. Around 9PM ET, the app began notifying people in the US, including Verge staffers, with a message that said the ban would make our services temporarily unavailable. The message goes on to say, Were working to restore our service in the US as quickly as possible, an outcome that will require action from the incoming Trump administration one way or another. A similar message is showing up in the CapCut video editor, which is also owned by TikTok.Read Article >Jan 18Wes DavisBiden White House says TikToks threat to go dark is a stunt Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty ImagesWhite House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called TikToks threat to go dark on Sunday, January 19th, a stunt, and that there is no reason for TikTok to shut itself down before President-elect Donald Trump is sworn in on the 20th.It is a stunt, and 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, MSNBC quotes Jean-Pierre as saying. We have laid out our position clearly and straightforwardly: actions to implement this law will fall to the next administration.So TikTok and other companies should take up any concerns with them.Read Article >Jan 18Alex HeathTikTok says it will go offline on Sunday if Biden doesnt intervene Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty ImagesTikTok says it plans to go offline on Sunday, January 19th if the Biden administration doesnt intervene.The company confirms earlier reporting that it will be forced to go dark on the 19th unless the outgoing administration provides a definitive statement assuring its most critical service providers that they wont be held liable for breaking the law. Those providers include Apple and Google, which together distribute TikTok through their app stores, and its hosting partners, which include Amazon and Oracle.Read Article >Jan 18Alex HeathHow TikTok backed itself into a corner Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty ImagesYoud think that TikTok would have a Plan B by now.Its now clear the company never planned for a scenario in which it would lose to the Supreme Court. Maybe it couldnt, given that the Chinese government ultimately has final say on a sale. Now, TikToks leaders are banking on Donald Trump to save them in a last-ditch effort that will unquestionably come with strings attached.Read Article >Jan 17Alex HeathTikTok tells advertisers its optimistic about finding the best path forward.The app is set to be shut off in the US at midnight on Saturday after losing its appeal to the Supreme Court. TikTok president Blake Chandlee just sent this to advertisers:This is a rapidly evolving situation, and were working quickly with our legal and policy teams to assess the situation and provide clear, accurate updates for our valued partners. Were optimistic about finding the best path forward.Rest assured, well be in touch with more details and next steps ahead of the Sunday, January 19 deadline.He then links to CEO Shou Chews reaction video, which makes clear the company is banking on Trump saving it from a ban.Jan 17Lauren FeinerThe Supreme Court ruled on TikTok and nobody knows what comes next Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty ImagesNow that TikTok has finally reached the end of its legal options in the US to avoid a ban, somehow, its future seems less clear than ever. The Supreme Court couldnt have been more direct: the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, as applied to TikTok, withstands First Amendment scrutiny and can take effect on January 19th. The court agreed that the government had a compelling national security interest in passing the law and that its rationale was content neutral. The solution proposed forcing Chinese parent company ByteDance to divest TikTok or see it ousted from the US was ruled appropriately tailored to meet those ends. Read Article >Jan 17Lauren FeinerTikTok CEO flatters Trump ahead of US ban deadline Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty ImagesIn his first statement since the Supreme Court upheld a law that could ban TikTok from the US on Sunday, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew offered no insight into what would happen to the app in just a few days. Instead, he took the opportunity to appeal to President-elect Donald Trump.I want to thank President Trump for his commitment to work with us to find a solution that keeps TikTok available in the United States, Chew says in a video on the platform. We are grateful and pleased to have the support of a President who truly understands our platform one who has used TikTok to express his own thoughts and perspectives, connecting with the world and generating more than 60 billion views of his content in the process.Read Article >Jan 17Lauren FeinerSupreme Court upholds TikTok ban law Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty ImagesThe Supreme Court ruled that the law that could oust TikTok from the US unless Chinese parent company ByteDance sells it is constitutional as applied to the company. There is no doubt that, for more than 170 million Americans, TikTok offers a distinctive and expansive outlet for expression, means of engagement, and source of community, the court wrote in a per curiam ruling, which is not attributed to any particular justice. But Congress has determined that divestiture is necessary to address its well-supported national security concerns regarding TikToks data collection practices and relationship with a foreign adversary.Read Article >Jan 17Lauren FeinerTrump says he talked to Chinas President Xi about TikTok.We dont know exactly what they discussed, but the US President-elect says it was a very good call. Until we hear otherwise from the Supreme Court or President Joe Biden, the TikTok ban is set to take effect on January 19th one day before Trumps inauguration. It is my expectation that we will solve many problems together, and starting immediately, says Trump.Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)[Truth Social]Jan 17Mia Sato6 TikTok creators on where theyll go if the app is banned Cath Virginia / The Verge | Photo by Brendan Hoffman, Getty ImagesIts been more than four years since Donald Trump first moved to expel TikTok from the US and now, just days before a second Trump presidency begins, it just might happen.President Joe Biden signed legislation last April that officially began the countdown that would force TikToks parent company, ByteDance, to divest from the US business. But even afterward,Read Article >Jan 16Lauren FeinerBiden punts the TikTok ban to Trump Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty ImagesThe Biden administration says it will leave it to incoming President Donald Trump to figure out how to deal with the mess of the TikTok ban, ABC News reports.Our position on this has been clear: TikTok should continue to operate under American ownership, a White House official told ABC News. Given the timing of when it goes into effect over a holiday weekend a day before inauguration, it will be up to the next administration to implement. Read Article >Jan 16Will RedNote get banned in the US? Image: Cath Virginia / The VergeIm not the first to note the irony of TikTok users flooding RedNote this week. The TikTok divest-or-ban rule was supposed to drive Americans away from a foreign-owned social network that was subject to influence or data harvesting by the Chinese government. Instead, it pushed them onto a different foreign-owned social network that poses the exact same hypothetical risks and that might be subject to the exact same kind of ban.TikTok faces a ban under the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, which passed with overwhelming bipartisan support and was signed last year by President Joe Biden (who is reportedly experiencing some buyers remorseRead Article >Jan 16Gaby Del ValleAs Americans flock to RedNote, privacy advocates warn about surveillance Image: Cath Virginia / The VergeMore than 700,000 US-based users have downloaded RedNote, a popular Chinese social app, as the TikTok ban deadline looms but they may find themselves looking for yet another TikTok alternative soon. A US official told CBS News that Xiaohongshu, the app more commonly referred to as RedNote, has many of the same issues that caused Congress to ban TikTok and that the app could eventually face a similar ban unless it divests from its China-based parent company.This appears to be the kind of app that the statute would apply to and could face the same restrictions as TikTok if its not divested, the anonymous official told CBS News on Thursday, referring to the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, the bill under which Congress banned TikTok.Read Article >Jan 15Lauren FeinerDonald Trump is reportedly considering an executive order to delay the TikTok ban.It would suspend enforcement of the law for 60 to 90 days, extending the timeline for a sale, The Washington Post reports. Trumps AG pick Pam Bondi also wouldnt commit to enforcing the TikTok law. But either of those routes wouldnt eliminate the risk of Apple and Google hosting the app on their app stores after January 19th.Trump considers executive order hoping to save TikTok from ban or sale in U.S. law[The Washington Post]Jan 14Lauren FeinerCan Elon Musk really save TikTok? Laura Normand / The VergeChinese officials are reportedly exploring a backup plan for TikTok after the Supreme Court appeared unlikely to save it from a US ban.The kicker? China is reportedly mulling having President-elect Donald Trumps favorite tech billionaire, Elon Musk, act either as broker or buyer in the arrangement. Reports from the Financial Times, Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg all citing unnamed sources indicate that Chinese officials are at least discussing the option of a sale. TikTok spokesperson Michael Hughes has called the reports pure fiction. The Chinese embassy in the US and Musks existing social media company, X, did not respond to requests for comment.Read Article >Jan 14Emma RothRedNote: what its like using the Chinese app TikTokers are flocking to Image: Cath Virginia / The VergeInstead of wallowing in misery about potentially losing access to their favorite short-form video app, many TikTokers are flocking to RedNote, a Chinese social media platform also called Xiaohongshu. Ive decided to spend some time on the platform myself, and it looks like so-called TikTok refugees are excited about interacting with a community mainly comprised of Chinese-speaking users and vice versa.Launched in 2013 as a shopping platform, RedNote has grown into one of Chinas most popular social apps featuring photos, videos, and written content. Now its seeing another spike in users from another part of the globe, with more than 700,000 users joining RedNote in just two days, according to a report from Reuters. The number is still small, at just a fraction of the 150 million Americans TikTok reported were already using the app in early 2023.Read Article >Jan 14Alex HeathTikTok is planning for various scenarios ahead of possible US ban Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty ImagesTikToks executives are planning for various scenarios ahead of the Supreme Court likely upholding a US ban of the app.In an internal memo obtained by The Verge, employees were told that the company is continuing to plan the way forward ahead of the courts imminent decision, which is expected as soon as Wednesday, January 15th. Read Article >Jan 14Lauren FeinerTikTok could get a 270-day extension to make a deal Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty ImagesTikToks luck might not run out just yet, if a new bill extending its January 19th deadline for a sale is approved by Congress.Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA), announced on the Senate floor Monday that he plans to introduce the Extend the TikTok Deadline Act to give the company an extra 270 days to divest from its Chinese parent company ByteDance to avoid facing a ban in the US. The bill notably wouldnt overturn Congress initial bill, but it would give the company more time to make a deal, as its legal options dry out. The Supreme Court is expected to decide this week whether the initial law, the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, violates the First Amendment, as applied to TikTok but many court-watchers predict the ruling is unlikely to go in TikToks favor. Read Article >Jan 14David PierceThe TikTok ban, and what comes next Image: Alex Parkin / The VergeGoodbye to our personal Chinese spies. With five days left until the date by which TikTok is to be either sold or banned in the United States, millions of users are reckoning with what happens when one of the internets most important media platforms just up and disappears. (Or, more likely, sticks around for a while, consistently gets worse, and then dies with a whimper.) On this episode of The Vergecast, we reckon with how we got here, and where we go next. The Verges Lauren Feiner walks us through the years-long history of the fight over TikTok, and takes us inside last weeks Supreme Court hearing, where the countrys highest court appeared to be in favor of the ban. Even with a few days left, though, the storys not over: Donald Trump has said he wants to save the app, and hell be inaugurated as president the day after the ban is set to go into effect. And now there are rumors Elon Musk might be involved with the apps future, too. If weve learned one thing about the TikTok ban, its that its always coming and seemingly never actually here. But it sure feels close now.Read Article >Jan 14Jay PetersElon Musk may be in the mix to buy TikTok.Under one scenario thats been discussed by the Chinese government, Musks X the former Twitter would take control of TikTok US and run the businesses together, the people said, Bloomberg reports.TikTok spokesperson MichaelHughes tells The Verge that we cant be expected to comment on pure fiction.China Weighs Sale of TikTok's US Operations to Elon Musk as One Possible Option[Bloomberg]Jan 13Emma RothGoodbye to my Chinese spy might be the last great TikTok trend Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty ImagesTikTokers are coping with the apps potential ban with an unusual trend: by bidding farewell to their personal Chinese spy. The trend, which pokes fun at security concerns surrounding the app, has users thanking their spy for surveilling them and filling their For You page with entertaining content, while others proclaim that theyd rather share their data directly with the Chinese government than switch to Instagram Reels or YouTube Shorts.One post, which garnered more than 1.5 million likes, depicts an emotional scene from Squid Game with the caption, Me saying goodbye to my Chinese spy on the 19th (He perfected my algorithm). Other TikTokers are speaking and singing in Chinese, while some pretend to be the spies powering individual algorithms.Read Article >Jan 13Emma RothChinese social media app RedNote tops App Store chart ahead of TikTok ban Photo Illustration by Sheldon Cooper/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty ImagesRedNote, the Chinese social media app also known as Xiaohongshu, rose to the number one spot on the Apple App Store as a US ban closes in on TikTok. The app offers a mix of pictures, short-form videos, and text posts across follow, explore, and nearby feeds.A cursory scroll through RedNotes Explore page shows English-language posts scattered among those written in Chinese. Many American users call themselves TikTok refugees in videos, while others write in text posts that theyre in search of a new community because of the potential TikTok ban. Some are even asking questions to Chinese users, such as What are some popular memes in China?Read Article >Jan 12Alex HeathNice shot, Mr. President! Can I buy TikTok?Kevin OLearyrecently joined Frank McCourts bid to buy TikTok. Now, with TikTok facing a ban in one week, the Shark Tank host is playing golf with the President-elect. Hmm.