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TikTok Goes Dark for US Users, Company Pins Hope on Trump

A person holds an iPhone with a message on their TikTok app in Avondale Estates, Georgia, USA, 18 January 2025. (EPA)
A person holds an iPhone with a message on their TikTok app in Avondale Estates, Georgia, USA, 18 January 2025. (EPA)
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TikTok Goes Dark for US Users, Company Pins Hope on Trump

A person holds an iPhone with a message on their TikTok app in Avondale Estates, Georgia, USA, 18 January 2025. (EPA)
A person holds an iPhone with a message on their TikTok app in Avondale Estates, Georgia, USA, 18 January 2025. (EPA)

TikTok stopped working in the United States late on Saturday and disappeared from Apple and Google app stores ahead of a law that takes effect Sunday requiring the shutdown of the app used by 170 million Americans.

President-elect Donald Trump said earlier in the day he would "most likely" give TikTok a 90-day reprieve from the ban after he takes office on Monday, a promise TikTok cited in a notice posted to users on the app.

TikTok, which is owned by China's ByteDance, told users attempting to use the app around 10:45 p.m. ET (0345 GMT): "A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the US. 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 apps owned by ByteDance, including video editing app Capcut and lifestyle social app Lemon8, were also offline and unavailable in US app stores as of late Saturday.

"The 90-day extension is something that will be most likely done, because it's appropriate," Trump told NBC. "If I decide to do that, I'll probably announce it on Monday."

It was not clear if any US users could still access the app, but it was no longer working for many users and people seeking to access it through a web application were met with the same message that TikTok was no longer working.

TikTok, which has captivated nearly half of all Americans, powered small businesses and shaped online culture, warned on Friday it would go dark in the US on Sunday unless President Joe Biden's administration provides assurances to companies such as Apple and Google that they will not face enforcement actions when a ban takes effect.

Under a law passed last year and upheld on Friday by a unanimous Supreme Court, the platform has until Sunday to cut ties with its China-based parent or shut down its US operation to resolve concerns it poses a threat to national security.

The White House reiterated on Saturday that it was up to the incoming administration to take action.

"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," press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.

TikTok did not respond to a request for comment on the new White House statement.

The Chinese embassy in Washington on Friday accused the US of using unfair state power to suppress TikTok. "China will take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard its legitimate rights and interests," a spokesperson said.

USERS MOVE TO ALTERNATIVES

Uncertainty over the app's future had sent users - mostly younger people - scrambling to alternatives including China-based RedNote. Rivals Meta and Snap had also seen their share prices rise this month ahead of the ban, as investors bet on an influx of users and advertising dollars.

"This is my new home now," wrote one user in a RedNote post, tagged with the words "tiktokrefugee" and "sad".

Minutes after TikTok's US shutdown, other users took to X, formerly called Twitter.

"I didn’t really think that they would cut off TikTok. Now I’m sad and I miss the friends I made there. Hoping it all comes back in just a few days," wrote @RavenclawJedi.

NordVPN, a popular virtual private network, or VPN, allowing users to access the internet from servers around the world, said it was "experiencing temporary technical difficulties".

Web searches for "VPN" spiked in the minutes after US users lost access to TikTok, according to Google Trends.

Users on Instagram fretted about whether they would still receive merchandise they had bought on TikTok Shop, the video platform's e-commerce arm.

Marketing firms reliant on TikTok have rushed to prepare contingency plans this week in what one executive described as a "hair on fire" moment after months of conventional wisdom saying that a solution would materialize to keep the app running.

There have been signs TikTok could make a comeback under Trump, who has said he wants to pursue a "political resolution" of the issue and last month urged the Supreme Court to pause implementation of the ban.

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew plans to attend the US presidential inauguration and attend a rally with Trump on Sunday, a source told Reuters.

Suitors including former Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt have expressed interest in the fast-growing business that analysts estimate could be worth as much as $50 billion. Media reports say Beijing has also held talks about selling TikTok's US operations to billionaire and Trump ally Elon Musk, though the company has denied that.

US search engine startup Perplexity AI submitted a bid on Saturday to ByteDance for Perplexity to merge with TikTok US, a source familiar with the company's plans told Reuters. Perplexity would merge with TikTok US and create a new entity by combining the merged company with other partners, the person added.

Privately held ByteDance is about 60% owned by institutional investors such as BlackRock and General Atlantic, while its founders and employees own 20% each. It has more than 7,000 employees in the US.

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Technology

Pocket-size AI: Powerful Phones Star at China Show

Chinese firms showed off phones that would be run by artificial intelligence. CN-STR/AFP
Chinese firms showed off phones that would be run by artificial intelligence. CN-STR/AFP
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Pocket-size AI: Powerful Phones Star at China Show

Chinese firms showed off phones that would be run by artificial intelligence. CN-STR/AFP
Chinese firms showed off phones that would be run by artificial intelligence. CN-STR/AFP

Tech firms are racing to roll out advanced smartphones that use artificial intelligence to do everything from ordering food to composing messages upon a simple voice command.

Wide adoption of phones running on so-called AI agents would be a revolution, but would also take control away from major apps, which aren't always happy about it, said AFP.

At least three firms were showcasing so-called agentic phones at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai this weekend -- heralding what may be to come.

Smartphone maker Nubia unveiled its NaviX Ultra, a phone powered by Doubao, China's massively popular AI chatbot tool run by TikTok creator ByteDance.

"A new era of AI agent smartphones begins," Nubia said, sharing images of the handsets online.

A limited run of a prototype dubbed the "Doubao Phone" sold out fast in December.

Initially, the prototype could follow simple voice commands to execute tasks across apps, including ordering food and comparing shopping prices.

However, days after it was released, tech giants including Alibaba, Tencent and JD.com restricted the built-in assistant's access to their platforms.

The move effectively disabled the phone's AI agent, so ByteDance turned off the powerful tool in certain circumstances, including when payments were involved.

- 'Lose control' -

Gaining broad access to apps owned by other companies is a sticking point for AI agent devices, said Kiranjeet Kaur, associate research director at US market intelligence firm IDC.

Platforms want to keep direct contact with their users, otherwise "they lose control to another party", she added.

"Agenting is everyone's dream, but we haven't reached there yet," as the performance of AI agent tools is still often patchy, Kaur said.

According to Chinese tech media, the NaviX Ultra does not attempt to force its way into apps, but rather seeks to collaborate with them.

The first-generation Doubao phone had been hobbled when major apps blocked unauthorized access.

AFP has contacted Nubia for comment.

Another manufacturer, Honor, showcased an AI system for its "Robot Phone", whose interactive camera flips up on a small robotic arm.

The company says its "companion-centric" device can interpret human gestures and bop to musical rhythms, as well as take selfies and steady videos.

An agent using several AI models, some co-developed with Alibaba, will be embedded in the robot phone when it goes on sale later this year, Honor told AFP.

- 'No clear winner' -

Shanghai-based AI startup StepFun also unveiled an "AI agent-native smartphone", the STEPX Neo, ahead of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference.

StepFun's chairman Yin Qi said "deep partnerships" had been established with several major Chinese platforms, including Alipay and ride-hailing giant Didi, according to a sponsored article in state news agency Xinhua.

"Leveraging these services, the smartphone can provide one-stop support for travel bookings, everyday purchases, local services, office productivity and video editing," it said.

Outside China, big tech companies such as Google are busy infusing smartphones with increasingly advanced AI features such as the ability to book appointments.

US startup Brain Technologies launched an agentic "Natural AI Phone" which went on sale in Japan in April in partnership with mobile giant SoftBank Corp.

At a demonstration given to AFP in April, Brain Technologies' phone -- which connects with a handful of apps including social network LINE -- messaged a contact to apologize for being late on just an audio command, although it also often failed to carry out requests.

"There is no clear winner in this race yet, which is why it is currently quite a hot topic," said Marc Einstein of Counterpoint Research.

But in five or 10 years time, we won't be using apps on our phones "like we do today", he predicted.

"This will fundamentally change the digital economy and disrupt business models."

Technology

Apple Closes in on Nvidia in Race for World's Most Valuable Company

Apple logo (Reuters)
Apple logo (Reuters)
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Apple Closes in on Nvidia in Race for World's Most Valuable Company

Apple logo (Reuters)
Apple logo (Reuters)

Apple is within striking distance of overtaking Nvidia as the world's most valuable company, a milestone that would reshuffle the ranks of tech heavyweights as investors reassess the outlook for AI.

Apple was last valued at $4.90 trillion as its shares rose marginally in premarket trading on Friday, while Nvidia was roughly at the same level, following a 2.4% decline.

If Apple overtakes Nvidia, it would reclaim the top spot for the first time since April last year. The close race shows that investors are broadening their focus beyond the obvious beneficiaries of the AI boom, such as Nvidia, which has been at the helm for nearly a year.

"Apple was seen as a laggard in the AI race because it wasn't spending to develop models, but now sentiment has changed," said Toni Meadows, head of investment at BRI Wealth Management, Reuters reported.

"Apple is less exposed to capex intensity and better positioned to monetize AI via services, ecosystem lock-in, and hardware upgrades. The re-rating reflects confidence in earnings durability rather than speculative AI upside."

For a company that was often seen trailing in the AI race, the narrowing gap with Nvidia reflects Apple's efforts to establish itself more firmly among the sector's leading players, and could shape how CEO Tim Cook's final months at the helm are viewed.

Cook is preparing to cede his role to hardware veteran John Ternus in September.

Last month, the company rolled out a long-delayed overhaul of Siri, betting the upgraded assistant would help close the gap with Big Tech rivals and new-age startups in the crucial AI race.

Some analysts say Apple is sitting on an AI gold mine in the form of the personal data that lives on every iPhone. The data could make Siri's answers more useful and the assistant more capable.

The challenge is that such data is locked away in operating systems in the name of privacy and the company would have to find a way to unlock its value.

Nvidia became the first company in the world to surpass a $5 trillion market valuation in October, a landmark that propelled it into a rarefied territory that was far beyond the reach of its rivals.

Even if Nvidia is superseded by Apple, it would not necessarily signal a lasting change in the companies' relative standing. The chipmaker remains a major beneficiary of AI-related spending, and its graphics processors are powering much of the generative AI frenzy.

Nvidia could also reclaim the top spot if sentiment shifts.

Besides, Apple is in a delicate position itself, having raised prices to offset rising costs -- a strategy that could hurt demand.

"I don't see any meaningful distinction should Nvidia lose its crown. It's likely to be a significant participant in whatever happens going forward," said Benjamin Hall, vice president, alpha research at Segal Marco Advisors.

However, the AI enthusiasm has spread to other corners of the semiconductor industry. The bigger winners this year have been memory chipmakers such as Micron, which crossed $1 trillion in market value in May as investors embraced the significance of memory chips in AI infrastructure.

South Korea's SK Hynix also listed on the Nasdaq earlier this month, adding another player to the race for investor attention.

"The new entrants to the market could spread out the focus away from the pure Magnificent Seven names into a wider number of names," Hall said.

The eye-watering chips rally ran into turbulence in July as investors reassessed the sustainability of the artificial intelligence trade, knocking the Philadelphia SE Semiconductor index down almost 19% from its all-time highs.

Despite the steep fall, the index has performed better than Nvidia so far this year.

Technology

South Korea-US Team Unveils Robotic Technology That Dresses the Wearer

Hwang Jae Yun, a graduate student of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), demonstrates wearing a self-dressing robot at KAIST in Daejeon, South Korea, July 14, 2026. (Reuters)
Hwang Jae Yun, a graduate student of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), demonstrates wearing a self-dressing robot at KAIST in Daejeon, South Korea, July 14, 2026. (Reuters)
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South Korea-US Team Unveils Robotic Technology That Dresses the Wearer

Hwang Jae Yun, a graduate student of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), demonstrates wearing a self-dressing robot at KAIST in Daejeon, South Korea, July 14, 2026. (Reuters)
Hwang Jae Yun, a graduate student of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), demonstrates wearing a self-dressing robot at KAIST in Daejeon, South Korea, July 14, 2026. (Reuters)

A team of South Korean and US researchers has unveiled a robotic technology that allows a person to suit up without using their hands or aid from others, with potential for applications in chip cleanrooms and emergency services.

The technology developed by researchers at South Korea's KAIST and Stanford University uses soft and flexible "vines" powered by air pressure embedded in clothing. When pressurized, the vines glide the fabric up close to the wearer's body like an ivy plant climbing on a structure, even if the person does not remain standing ‌still.

"When I was ‌riding a bicycle, it started to ‌rain ... ⁠and I thought it ⁠would be helpful if a raincoat could be put on automatically (as I ride)," said KAIST postdoctoral researcher Kim Nam Gyun, the lead author of a paper on the technology.

"The vine robot stays close to the person and dresses them by turning the clothing inside out as it moves, allowing it to climb stably along ⁠the shape of the body,” Kim said, adding ‌it takes about 10 seconds to ‌put on a full suit.

A key to the technology's potential is ‌it does not require the wearer to stand motionless and ‌it works without a complex control algorithm, the researchers said.

Inspired by climbing ivy, the robot advances by growing at its tip rather than shifting its whole body, enabling stable movement along curved surfaces, said Ryu Jee-Hwan, ‌a professor of civil and environmental engineering at KAIST.

“It can pass through narrow gaps, grow while ⁠adapting to ⁠the shape of its surrounding environment, and move regardless of whether the surface is slippery, sticky, or sloped,” he said.

Beyond immediate applications for helping the elderly and disabled, the team sees potential for use where the user needs to suit up and off quickly and without using the hands, including in semiconductor cleanrooms and by emergency workers requiring personal protective equipment.

Ryu said given the explosive growth of AI, there was usually much attention on the software powering systems, but the team's self-dressing robot was an example of how mechanical engineering could complement software.

The study was published in IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, a peer-reviewed journal.