Going dark.
TikTok disappears in the U.S. (for about 14 hours). Instagram goes full copycat.
Coming up this week: We should find out more details about the TikTok ban extension in the U.S., and conditions for its ongoing operation in America. Conspiracy theories are running rampant.
In today’s newsletter:
Going Dark: TikTok Disappears In the U.S. (For About 14 Hours)
Grid Me a Break: Instagram Goes Full Copycat
Going Viral: Duolingo’s Social Media Team Deserves a Raise
GOING DARK.
A mixture of sad goodbyes and funny videos of people thanking their Chinese spies have filled the TikTok FYP for more than a week. And on Saturday, the platform did indeed go dark for US users. But by Sunday afternoon, they were all back.
Whether you use TikTok or not, what happened to the app has implications for us all — and for the future of social media. Let’s talk about it.
1/3 TikTok Goes Dark in the U.S. (For About 14 Hours)
TikTok users in the US were shut out of the platform on Saturday night, after the US Supreme Court upheld a law banning TikTok as of Sept. 19th. The law required that TikTok divest of its US operations, or be shut down.
But by Sunday afternoon, service was restored to the 170 million US TikTokers. In a statement posted on Twitter/X, TikTok thanked “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.”
It’s being widely reported that Trump has said he would issue an executive order on Monday to delay the ban in order to give parent company ByteDance time to work on a deal to sell TikTok’s US operations to a US seller. (Just a reminder: Trump tried to ban the app in his first term as president).
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew plans to attend the US inauguration ceremonies today, alongside Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Twitter’s Chief Twit Elon Musk.
2/3 The Reaction
Some TikTokers, like @AaronParnas1, were visibly relieved to be back. Others, like @TizzyEnt, called the whole thing a stunt, and vowed to do everything in his power to punish lawmakers who championed this bill.
Others, like @lifecoachshawn, pointed out that Trump’s orders to restore the app also came with his statement on Truth Social: ‘Americans deserve to see our exciting Inauguration on Monday, as well as other events and conversations.’ “If he’s saving it, there’s something in it for him; I promise you that,” she said in her TikTok video.
Many are also speculating on who might purchase TikTok. Speculation includes Meta, Musk, and even Mr. Beast. This Forbes article suggests a few other buyers.
3/3 What This Means For All of US
We never had full control of the content we posted on social media apps, even before the TikTok ban. We could lose access to our accounts at any time at the discretion of the app’s owners. Also, the CEOs can make whatever rules they want, for whatever reason they want (for example: Meta has blocked news sharing in Canada in protest over an online news act).
But now, it’s clear that apps are being politicized. Even before TikTok went dark, the CEO posted a video thanking Trump for “working with us to find a solution that keeps TikTok available in the United States.” And now, we’re waiting to see how Trump plans to “save” an app that he originally tried to ban in 2020.
Politicizing an app destabilizes the entire social media landscape. And this U.S. bill sets a precedent for plans to block other apps in the future. That means Trump could decide at any time to shut down an app — for whatever reason.
And other countries are watching. When asked about the U.S. TikTok ban, Canadian Conservative Leader and Prime Minister hopeful Pierre Poilievre said he’ll be “following the decision in the U.S. very carefully” and advised his MPs and staff to stop using TikTok because it risks “infiltration and espionage.” (Note: In November, the Canadian government ordered the shutdown of Canadian TikTok offices.)
TikTok’s future is anything but assured, and neither is the future of any other app. If politicians decide, or are swayed one way or another, that an app isn’t in their best interest, it could easily go dark — for 14 hours, or forever.
🤦♀️ GRID ME A BREAK
Instagram Permanently Changes the Grid
Goodbye, square images. Hello, rectangles.
That’s right; over the weekend, Instagram removed its legacy square grid layout and rolled out a new grid featuring 4:5 portrait-sized images.
That means all of those square-sized graphics you’ve been posting might be cut off now. Instagram expert @jenns_trends provided some handy info on how to adjust the square images you’ve already posted. (Note: In Canva, you should see a Portrait option for Instagram).
When I asked @jenns_trends about the change, she said:
New bio: You might also notice that the bio section looks a bit different with your name appearing above all other info.
It all looks suspiciously like a TikTok profile now — at least to me.
Instagram Launches a Copycat Editing App
When TikTok was banned in the U.S., its popular editing app, Capcut, was also banned.
But Instagram appears ready to step in. On Sunday, it announced it’s launching a new editing app called “Edits.”
Here are some details from @creators: “In the coming weeks, we’ll be launching Edits, a new video creation app by Instagram that helps creators make videos on their phones. ❤️ With powerful editing capabilities, creative tools and actionable insights, Edits has all the tools you need to support your creation process in one place.”
In the App store, it says the editing app is expected to drop on March 13, 2025.
👏 THIS IS HARDER THAN IT LOOKS
Duolingo’s social media team deserves a raise
When it looked like TikTok was going to disappear, many people flocked to the Chinese-owned TikTok-like app, RedNote, where most of the users speak Mandarin.
In response, language-learning app Duolingo went viral with its tweet: oh so NOW you’re learning mandarin. (Duolingo says it saw a 216% increase in Mandarin learners - HuffPost)
The company’s social media team also jumped on a TikTok trend where influencers were sharing “secrets” behind their accounts. Duolingo chose to reveal the person in their mascot uniform.
Give them all a raise. 👏