Trump Saves TikTok From Ban, Resumes Service In The US
TikTok resumed service in the United States on Sunday after momentarily falling black, as a rule prohibiting the enormously popular app on national security concerns took effect.
TikTok hailed President-elect Donald Trump, who takes office on Monday, for making the reversal possible.
However, the outgoing government of President Joe Biden had previously stated that no prohibition would be enforced.
The video-sharing app was shut down in the United States late Saturday as a deadline for its Chinese owners, ByteDance, to sell its US unit to non-Chinese purchasers approached.
Earlier Sunday, as millions of dissatisfied users found themselves restricted from the app, Trump promised to issue an executive order suspending the ban to provide time to “make a deal.”
In a post on his Truth Social website, he also urged the United States to invest in TikTok.
The president-elect stated that he “would like the United States to have a 50% ownership position in a joint venture,” claiming that the app’s worth might rise to “hundreds of billions of dollars — maybe trillions.”
“By doing this, we save TikTok, keep it in good hands,” wrote Trump.
Trump has previously supported a TikTok ban and made efforts to implement one during his first time in office.
TikTok stated in a statement released on X after Trump’s statements that the company “is in the process of restoring service.”
STATEMENT FROM TIKTOK:
— TikTok Policy (@TikTokPolicy) January 19, 2025
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…
“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.”
TikTok, which was back online in the United States by Sunday afternoon, did not respond to Trump’s request for some American control of the program.
The statute allows for a 90-day postponement in the prohibition if the White House can demonstrate progress toward a feasible agreement, but ByteDance has firmly opposed any sale.
The Biden administration stated that it will delegate enforcement of the legislation to Trump.
TikTok has been hailed for its ability to turn ordinary users into global celebrities when a video goes viral, ranging from teenage dancers to grandma providing cooking instructions.
However, it is also replete with misinformation, and its Chinese ownership has long raised national security concerns, both worldwide and in the United States.
Sunday’s suspension came after the US Supreme Court upheld rules prohibiting its sale on Friday.
Trump, who signed an executive order putting more pressure on ByteDance to sell in 2020, has since lauded the app for linking him with younger people.
It is unclear what the incoming president can do to lift the prohibition until ByteDance eventually sells.
“Congress wrote this law to be virtually president-proof,” cautioned Adam Kovacevich, CEO of the industry trade organization Chamber of Progress.
Aside from deleting TikTok from app stores, the law mandates Apple and Google to prohibit new downloads, with the businesses facing penalties of up to $5,000 per user if the software is used.
Oracle, which hosts TikTok’s servers, would also be legally required to uphold the prohibition.
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In Europe, TikTok’s suspension was praised by Estonia’s foreign minister, who said his country is one of the most robust to deception, according to the European Media Literacy Index.
Perplexity AI, a highly valued start-up, made a last-minute proposal on Saturday to merge with TikTok’s US affiliate, according to a source familiar with the matter.
The idea did not specify a price, but a source believed that it would cost at least $50 billion.
Frank McCourt, the former owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, has also made a bid to buy TikTok’s US operations.
Trump Saves TikTok From Ban, Resumes Service In The US
