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TikTok Shut Down And Then Restored In The U.S.
- Written by Andrea Miliani Former Tech News Expert
- Fact-Checked by Justyn Newman Former Lead Cybersecurity Editor
The Chinese video app TikTok shut down in the United States on Saturday night, a few minutes before the ban became effective, but was progressively restored on Sunday afternoon after elected president Donald Trump said he would issue an executive order to allow the use of the app when he returns to office this Monday.
In a Rush? Here are the Quick Facts!
- Millions of TikTok users in the United States lost access to the Chinese platform for a few hours
- Donald Trump said he would “save” TikTok and take action to restore service this Monday
- TikTok has started to reactivate features and accounts across the U.S.
The Chinese video app TikTok was shut down in the United States on Saturday night, a few minutes before the ban became effective, but was progressively restored on Sunday afternoon after President-elect Donald Trump announced he would issue an executive order to allow the use of the app when he takes office this Monday.
According to CNN , American users—around 170 million—saw Tiktok’s blackout. Many shared the message they got when they tried to use the app: “Sorry, TikTok isn’t available right now. A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now.”
On Sunday, Trump said at a rally that he would negotiate and take action to restore the platform’s service. “Frankly, we have no choice. We have to save it,” said Trump, as reported by Reuters.
Just a few hours later, TikTok shared an official statement thanking Trump and announced they were in the process of restoring the 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 7 million small businesses to thrive,” wrote the company.
By Sunday night, TikTok was still unavailable in application stores, but many users were able to post and access the platform’s features again.
Trump explained that he would postpone the ban so that he could work on a deal with TikTok and suggested a 50% joint venture with the U.S. government. Many considered Trump’s move a political stunt as he first suggested banning the app in 2020 and raised concerns about the Chinese government’s involvement.
Image by Asterfolio, from Unsplash
Hackers Exploit WhatsApp In New Phishing Campaign
- Written by Kiara Fabbri Former Tech News Writer
- Fact-Checked by Justyn Newman Former Lead Cybersecurity Editor
A Russian hacking group, Star Blizzard, has been targeting WhatsApp accounts for compromise, Microsoft Threat Intelligence reported on January 16. This marks a shift in the group’s tactics, with Microsoft noting it as the first instance of Star Blizzard adopting a new access vector, diverging from their established methods.
In a Rush? Here are the Quick Facts!
- Star Blizzard used WhatsApp for the first time in a spear-phishing campaign.
- The attack impersonated a U.S. official and targeted Ukraine-related organizations.
- Victims unknowingly gave hackers access to WhatsApp via malicious QR codes.
In November 2024, Microsoft Threat Intelligence detected a significant shift in the tactics of “Star Blizzard,” a Russian hacking group known for targeting government officials, diplomats, and NGOs.
The group introduced a new phishing method, using WhatsApp as an access point, marking a departure from their traditional strategies. The attack began with a spear-phishing email impersonating a U.S. government official.
It invited targets to join a WhatsApp group purportedly focused on supporting Ukrainian NGOs. The email included a QR code, claimed to link users to the group, but deliberately malfunctioned to prompt recipients to respond.
Once the targets replied, they received another email with a shortened URL that led to a fraudulent webpage resembling WhatsApp’s legitimate site.
Here, victims were asked to scan a QR code to join the group. Instead, this code granted the hackers access to victims’ WhatsApp accounts by exploiting the platform’s account linking system. Using browser plugins, Star Blizzard could exfiltrate sensitive messages.
Star Blizzard, previously known for targeting journalists and civil society organizations, adapted to operational disruptions. Since 2023, the group has employed spear-phishing campaigns to steal information and disrupt activities, as noted on the Microsoft report.
Microsoft and the U.S. Department of Justice took down over 180 phishing domains linked to the group in October 2024. Despite these efforts, the hackers quickly transitioned to new domains and methods.
This recent campaign, which concluded by late November, underscores the group’s persistence and adaptability. It also highlights the evolving cybersecurity challenges organizations face.
To mitigate such risks, Microsoft advises using tools like Defender for Endpoint, enabling anti-phishing measures, tamper protection, and real-time cloud-delivered antivirus updates. Organizations should also train employees to recognize phishing attempts, particularly those involving links or QR codes.
For enhanced security, experts recommend verifying suspicious emails by contacting the sender through trusted channels and using safe browsing practices.
This incident reinforces the importance of proactive cybersecurity measures as threat actors develop new ways to breach defenses, turning even commonly used tools like WhatsApp into potential attack vectors.
