Tech

The TikTok shutdown is locking out non-US users, too

TikTok’s US shutdown last night appears to be affecting users outside the country as well. People have taken to social media in the hours since, complaining they can’t access the app despite living in non-US countries, and it’s not always clear why. In some cases, the problem appears to be using a VPN that routes traffic through the US. One …

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Trump says he’ll delay TikTok ban, but the platform must be sold

President-elect Donald Trump says he wants service providers like Apple and Google to put TikTok back online in the US, and proposed creating a joint venture where the US owns 50 percent of the app. “I’m asking companies not to let TikTok stay dark!” Trump wrote on Truth Social Sunday. “I will issue an executive order on Monday to extend …

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The Switch 2 is here, and Severance is back

Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 67, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world. (If you’re new here, welcome, happy Switch week, and also you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage.)  This week, I’ve been watching Black Doves and The Remarkable Life of Ibelin, reading about Lorne Michaels and rodeos and Ben …

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Trump’s second inauguration: live updates and how to watch

Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Michael Bennet (D-CO) are putting pressure on big tech firms to explain their motives for donating to President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration fund. In letters to Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI, and Uber, the lawmakers express concerns about the companies making contributions to “avoid scrutiny, limit regulation, and buy favor.” Over the past several weeks, …

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The tech to build the holodeck

When I visited my elderly mom in Germany recently, I realized it could be one of the last times I see her in the cozy little house she has called home for more than two decades. So I did what anyone would do: I busted out my phone and took lots of photos of the place to preserve as many …

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Apple says it’s following the law by removing TikTok from the App Store

Apple is obligated to follow the laws in the jurisdictions where it operates. 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 …

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Marvel Snap is banned, just like TikTok

The divest-or-ban law aimed at TikTok is also taking down other ByteDance-linked apps, including the popular card game Marvel Snap. The app suddenly cut off access Saturday night, seemingly without warning, surprising gamers who weren’t aware of its connection to ByteDance. The card game battler set in the Marvel universe is developed by Second Dinner, which is based in California. …

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How to bulk download and save your TikTok videos

There’s 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 …

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TikTok is down in the US

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. 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!

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TikTok says it’s shutting down in the US after failing to avoid a ban

TikTok 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 6PM PT, 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, “We’re …

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