TikTok ban being called 'PR stunt' after spotting 'obvious' details in app statements

Twitter users have noticed a stark similarity within three statements shared by TikTok.

Last year, President Joe Biden vowed to ban TikTok in the US alleging the app poses 'a national-security threat of immense depth and scale'.

On January 17 earlier this year, the country's Supreme Court upheld its ruling and the app 'went dark' yesterday (January 19).

TikTok's statements

When TikTok 'went dark,' users were faced with the pop-up message: "Sorry, TikTok isn't available right now. 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!"

An official statement released by the app read: "STATEMENT FROM TIKTOK: In agreement with our service providers, TikTok is in the process of restoring service. 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 seven million small businesses to thrive.

A law temporarily banned TikTok in the US ( Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

"It’s a strong stand for the First Amendment and against arbitrary censorship. We will work with President Trump on a long-term solution that keeps TikTok in the United States."

And another pop-up message to TikTokers added: "Welcome back! Thank you for your patience and support. As a result of President Trump's efforts, TikTok is back in the US!

"You can continue to create, share and discover all the things you love on TikTok."

And it hasn't taken long for people to weigh in.

The TikTok statements all share a detail which users say reveals the ban was 'an obvious PR stunt' (TikTok/ Twitter/ @amyewong)

Online response to TikTok's statement

A Twitter user said: "TikTok shut down in the US, only for it to come back 14 hours later and blast three separate statements to its millions of followers, saying that it was all thanks to Donald Trump, who isn’t even president yet."

"This was such an obvious PR stunt to try to garner favor with Trump. They never had to take TikTok offline, and if they were legally required to, then nothing Trump said to them could have allowed them to restore service," another added.

A third resolved: "I’ve never seen a government do so much to make such a problematic person relevant and suck d**k this hard to make him look like the savior. This blatant a*s pr stunt. Someone or something will always praise you for nothing if you’re a yt male. We are in dark days."

UNILAD has contacted TikTok for comment.