Sobbing TikTok influencers ‘will never forgive the government’ after app ban

Hoping in vein for a last minute change of direction, TikTok influencers broke down in tears last night in the final hours before the app was officially banned in the US.

Over 100,000 creators were in despair over the loss of their income, platform and online community as the app stopped working across the country at 10.50pm EST

With the US government worried TikTok posed a national security risk, users were unable to scroll and instead met with an unexpected pop-up message about incoming president Donald Trump.

The hugely popular social media platform – owned by Chinese tech firm ByteDance – was also no longer available on Apple and Google’s app stores.

TikTok has since shared a new statement saying that are in the process of restoring services, thanking President Trump for outlining a plan to save the app.

Internet celebrity James Charles cried to his followers for three minutes straight as he expressed his sadness over the app’s takedown.

‘It feels really dystopian and unreal that TikTok could be going away in a couple hours,’ James said to this 40 million fans.

‘I don’t understand how we have gotten to a point where 9 people that we didn’t even elect into office are making a decision for more than half the American population.

‘Nothing has ever compared to this app. This is really the first platform that I have felt like I have been able to be myself on.

‘I am not dying, none of us. But this app has been such a beautiful community. This sucks.’

Only hours after the breakdown on camera, the beauty and make-up creator made a dramatic and smug return to the site, calling himself the ‘first American back on TikTok’.

Charles said he found a ‘loophole’ to return to the app temporarily.

Anyone in the US who tried to open their app from 10.50 EST encountered a pop-up message from the company that prevented them from scrolling on videos.

‘A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the US,’ the message said. ‘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!’ it said.

While James Charles has a number of income streams, from YouTube to make up products, other TikTok creators broke down in tears over losing their jobs.

Emily Senn, a cruise ship headliner and content creator expressed her fury at she gave up hope the platform would be rescued before going offline.

‘To the US government, I am never forgiving you for this. Just like that you took away millions of people’s incomes and livelihood,’ said influencer with over 350,000 followers.

‘I feel so dumb coming on the internet and crying about an app.

‘This has been a sense of community for me. It got me through really hard times in my life. The pandemic, losing my job, getting divorced.’

She was also wracked with doubt about how she would make a living without TikTok.

‘I am not the biggest creator on here, but it has significantly helped my income and I have been able to rely on it.

‘On top of being sad that I am losing my creator outlet, I am worried what I am going to do financially.’

Kylie Park, who was agonisingly less than 9000 followers short of a million before the ban, took to the app to defend the work that creators do on the platform.

She said: ‘Some of you think it is silly and we should go get a real 9 to 5 job.

‘Let me tell you right now, TikTok is a full-time job. You are delivering a service and you are getting paid.

‘We have put in our blood, sweat and tears maintaining content. Doing content every single day is not easy.

‘When you think of all the work you put in for it to be taken away from you, it sucks. I am so sad, I hope it does not get banned. It is so up in the air.

‘It is not about the following. TikTok is my safe space.’

One creator said the end of TikTok was ‘like losing a family member.’

Vans added: ‘Has anyone else just been crying on this app all night. It feels like we are losing a platform where we are losing so much.’

Another one of those left fuming was influencer Victoria Paris as she was a few thousand followers away from reaching two million on TikTok.

Some users took to other social media platforms to accuse Trump of being in on the message as part of a political stunt.

One, Amaya, wrote on X: ‘This is literally a stunt all planned by trump. look at how the message changed within 20 mins…. trump is gonna come in office and play savior by unbanning the app to get more sympathy and likes from the public. do not fall for this bs. #tiktokban’

In an NBC News interview Trump said he had not decided what to do about the ban but was considering granting TikTok a reprieve after he is sworn into office on Monday.

TikTok CEO Shou Chew is expected to attend Trump’s inauguration on Monday and sit on the dais.

The US government has accused the social media platform of posing a national security risk because of data harvested from users.

The federal law, signed by President Joe Biden last year, required ByteDance to divest its stake in the TikTok’s US platform or face a ban. ByteDance had nine months to sell the US operation to an approved buyer.

The company, and TikTok, chose to take legal action against the law and ultimately lost their fight at the Supreme Court on Friday.

Under the statute, mobile app stores are barred from offering TikTok and internet hosting services are prohibited from delivering the service to US users.

The Biden administration has said it will leave the law’s implementation to Mr Trump, given that his inauguration falls the day after the ban takes effect.

In a statement later on Friday, TikTok asked for ‘a definitive statement’ saying the Biden administration would not enforce the law or try to fine app store operators such as Apple and Google and other US companies if they do not stop making TikTok available on Sunday.

Without those assurances, TikTok said it ‘will be forced to go dark’.

Meanwhile, the chief secretary to the treasury Darren Jones told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme this morning there were no plans to ban TikTok in the UK.

He said: ‘We always keep all of these technology issues under consideration, whether it’s for national security or data privacy concerns.

‘We have laws in place and processes to do that. We have no plans right now to ban TikTok from the UK.

‘So, we won’t be following the same path that the Americans have followed unless or until at some point in the future there is a threat that we are concerned about in the British interest.’

Mr Jones said TikTik has not been allowed on government devices ‘for many years’.

He added: ‘The last Conservative government took the same position because there’s sensitive information on those devices.

‘But for consumers who want to post videos of their cats or dancing, that doesn’t seem like a national security threat to me.’

You can read our explainer on the reasons behind the US TikTok ban here.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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