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.

You’ll know by now that TikTok has been banned in the United States, and that initial expectations that it would simply mean users couldn’t update the app or download it, the app has gone dark. But a series of remarkable things have happened as a result,

Apple Inc. and Google removed TikTok from their mobile app stores in the US as required by a law that took effect Sunday, after the social media company’s legal challenges failed to head off the measure passed last year to address national security concerns.

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.

The popular video app stopped working shortly after signaling to users it might go offline, with a federal law barring U.S. companies from hosting or distributing TikTok set to take effect on Sunday.

VPNs are a great tool to hide your IP address by connecting you to a secure server in a location of your choosing. Theoretically, that means you would be able to use a VPN to retain access to TikTok. And while the cybersecurity risks of using TikTok have been well-documented, that isn't going to stop the most dedicated users.

Users on the app were saying their goodbyes, some filming themselves frantically scrolling or sharing final secrets with their followers ahead of the possible ban.

TikTok has essentially warned that it will “go dark” in the U.S., given that service providers underpinning the platform won’t be able to continue doing so lawfully. This might be over soon. TikTok is hopeful,

Apple has now addressed the TikTok ban for the first time, saying it is “obligated to follow the laws in the jurisdictions where it operates.” In a statement posted to its website, Apple says:

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

TikTok’s app was prominent removed from app stores on Saturday evening just before as a federal law that bans the popular social media platform went into effect.