TikTok Fans in Distress: Emergency Calls Flood 9-1-1 After App Ban
Distressed TikTok enthusiasts in the United States found themselves in a state of panic as the popular app was banned, abruptly ceasing to function and disappearing from the App Store and Google Play. The ban, which came into effect on January 18 after a prolonged legal battle, left many users heartbroken over the loss of their favorite social media platform.
Amid the chaos of TikTok's sudden absence, reports emerged of former users resorting to desperate measures, including contacting emergency services for assistance. These distress calls quickly spread across social media, capturing the attention of a wide audience.
It's starting.
— CrimeWatchMpls (@CrimeWatchMpls) January 19, 2025
Anoka County 911 received a call from a party who was incoherent and said they love TikTok. pic.twitter.com/OFS7KjiqzJ
One particularly poignant call, widely shared on January 19, involved an Anoka County dispatcher requesting a welfare check on a caller described as "very incoherent" but expressing a deep affection for TikTok.
Another audio clip, believed to be from the Ravalli County Sheriff’s Office, surfaced on social media on January 18. The recording captured a conversation between two individuals expressing astonishment at receiving an emergency call related to TikTok's shutdown. Amidst the disbelief, one participant can be heard acknowledging the caller's plea to have TikTok reinstated.
It is evident that the ban on TikTok has left a void in the lives of many devoted users who are struggling to come to terms with the app's absence. In anticipation of the ban, some U.S. users turned to the Chinese app RedNote (also known as Redbook or Xiaohongshu) as a temporary alternative. However, legal experts have cautioned that RedNote may also face a similar fate as TikTok in the future.
