QUOTE:

"After an opaque and uncertain saga, TikTok went dark on millions of phones across the United States on Saturday evening around 10:30 pm EST. Google Play and Apple’s App Store both pulled the app late Saturday as well. If it was already installed prior to Saturday evening, the app is still there on your phone, but launching it only reveals a pop-up warning about the ban. As the deadline loomed, TikTok users had been bracing for the change and flooding other platforms, including the Chinese social app Xiaohongshu or “RedNote.” But if you’re not quite ready to give up the latest skin-care hacks, budgeting tips, and pet tortoise influencers, there are some options for circumventing the ban and continuing to use the platform.

“Sorry, TikTok isn’t available right now,” the app alert reads. “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!” Other ByteDance-owned apps, including CapCut and Lemon8, also disappeared from US app stores."

This is the first time I'm aware of some shady looking app ban in USA.

The whole thing stinks IMO.

And apparently the CEO is attending Trump inauguration, seems to be getting quite cozy.

I would not be surprised if there was a backroom deal happening here, where the app will miraculously be saved by Trump once inaugurated.

This possibility reminds me of the Carter - Reagan Iran hostage saga - where a backroom deal was made to release the hostages to help credit Reagan, to make Jimmy Carter look bad:

www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a43368900/reagan-iran-hostages/

If so, appears to be lining up to make Trump look like a 'tiktok hero' on this.

The nationstate disease of oligarchy appears to be displaying symptoms.