- TikTok went dark for 170 million US users on Saturday.
- Users took to other corners of the internet to react to the shutdown.
- Internet personality James Charles, who boasted over 40 million followers, called the move “dystopian.”
Celebrities, influencers, and business leaders reacted to the shutdown of TikTok in the US after it went dark on Saturday.
The likes of Elon Musk, Mark Cuban, James Charles, and Alix Earle took to other corners of the internet to react to the loss of the hit video-sharing app after it went dark for 170 million US users on Saturday.
Singer Lizzo, who has over 25 million followers on TikTok, headed to Instagram to react to the news.
“In Loving Memory, Takesha ‘TikTok’ Woods,” the post reads.
“They really took her… MY SHAYLA,” Lizzo added in the caption, referencing a recent trend on the app.
Internet personality James Charles, who boasted over 40 million followers on TikTok, also posted his reaction to the shutdown on Instagram.
In one video, Charles said: “I can’t believe I’m making an Instagram Reel right now because normally when something happens in the world, I go to TikTok.”
“I don’t know what to do! Oh my god, I’ve already opened and closed the app probably six times already just to keep getting the same stupid warning message. This is so dystopian!” Charles added in a follow-up video.
Another Instagram émigré was Alix Earle, an influencer who rose to fame on the app in 2022 and who had more than 7 million followers.
Earle posted a video of herself tearfully clutching a glass of wine in bed. “How I’m going to sleep tonight,” she wrote over the video. “Thank god for this wine rn.”
Key figures from the business world have also weighed in on the situation.
Elon Musk said that he had long been against a ban on TikTok as it “goes against freedom of speech.”
“That said, the current situation where TikTok is allowed to operate in America, but X is not allowed to operate in China is unbalanced,” he said in a post on X. “Something needs to change.”
TikTok’s shutdown came after a monthslong legal battle over a ban-or-divest law passed by Congress last year.
TikTok had challenged the law, arguing that it violated the First Amendment rights of TikTok and its creators. But the Supreme Court ruled against the company.
Posting on Bluesky, Mark Cuban said it would be interesting to see how many users moved to the platform from TikTok.
The social media app has seen a surge in users since President-elect Donald Trump was elected in November. In December, the company said it had grown from 3 million users to 25.9 million.
It is currently in the final stages of raising new funding led by Bain Capital Ventures, which would value the company at around $700 million, as Business Insider previously reported.
Prior to the shutdown, Cuban said he hoped TikTok would be “disabled tonight at midnight and all day tomorrow and Monday.”
“Which means the biggest story on Monday will be… And the reaction from the newly installed President will be…” he wrote.
Cuban has said he previously tried to invest in TikTok’s precursor, Musical.ly, but that the company turned him down.
In an interview with Jules Terpak in December, Cuban said the platform was more enjoyable under its former name and that it had become “more corporate” since it’s been known as TikTok.
“I liked it better when it was dances and music,” Cuban said. “Now it’s a business.”
The cast of “Saturday Night Live” also tackled the TikTok shutdown in last night’s episode.
During the Weekend Update segment, comedians Michael Longfellow and Michael Che addressed the situation while poking fun at criticism the app has faced in the past.
“I feel it is my responsibility to come out here and defend TikTok’s right to remain here in these United States,” Longfellow said, posing as a typical app user. “It’s the first political opinion I’ve ever had.”
TikTok is banking on Trump
At around 10:30 p.m. Eastern Time Saturday, a message began popping up on users’ screens: “Sorry, TikTok isn’t available right now. A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now.”
In the message, TikTok also indicated that it was now relying on Trump to save the app.
“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.
Trump on Sunday announced that he’d sign an executive order to postpone the ban in order to “make a deal to protect our national security.”
Shortly after the president-elect’s remarks, TikTok said in a statement to Business Insider it was “in the process of restoring service” to its US users.
“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 million Americans and allowing over 7 million small businesses to thrive,” TikTok said.
It’s a major pivot for Trump.
In 2020, Trump unsuccessfully sought to ban TikTok. However, during the 2024 presidential election, he embraced the social media app, which gave his campaign immense reach during a campaign where he was competing with Vice President Kamala Harris for the support of younger Americans.
