A U.S. ban of TikTok began to take effect on Sunday, capping a high-stakes battle that pitted the federal government against one of the nation's most popular social media platforms.

Millions of TikTok users in the United States are no longer able to watch videos on the social media platform.

The app had more than 170 million monthly users in the U.S. The black-out is the result of a law forcing the service offline unless it sheds its ties to ByteDance, its China-based parent company.

TikTok is now unavailable in the United States—and getting around the ban isn’t as simple as using a VPN. Here’s what you need to know.

When users opened the TikTok app on Saturday, they encountered a pop-up message that said, “Sorry, TikTok isn't available right now.” View on euronews

Second, however, TikTok does present a danger. But it’s the same danger all the social media platforms present: they collect large amounts of personal data from users, including teens. (Some call TikTok's collection excessive.) But this is a story we’ve heard over and over.  They monetize invasive information for advertisers, no matter the danger.

TikTok went dark for users across the U.S. late Saturday as the app notified users of a ban that went into effect just days before President-elect Trump's inauguration.

As TikTok users flock to RedNote, there are several considerations, including the privacy of your data. Here’s what you need to know.

The Supreme Court upheld a law that requires TikTok's Chinese owner to sell off the app's U.S. business or face a nationwide ban Sunday.

TikTok isn’t the villain here. It’s a symptom of a much larger issue: the lack of clear, enforceable rules for data privacy and security. Instead of banning the app, the government should focus on fixing the system.

The video app that once styled itself a joyful politics-free zone is now bracing for a nationwide ban and pinning its hopes on President-elect Donald Trump.