Washington, DC, USA (WNEWS) – #TikTok, which was shut down just hours after President-elect Donald Trump pledged to sign an executive order on Monday to save it, appears to be back online. Around 12 hours after the initial shutdown, US users gained access to TikTok through a web browser and the app, although the page still displayed a warning about the shutdown.
This sudden turnaround comes after TikTok became inaccessible to Americans late Saturday night. Users attempting to open the app at that time encountered a message stating it was offline and requesting users to “stay tuned.”
In part, TikTok’s message read, “A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now.” The app was also unavailable on the Apple and Google Play stores, as well as Lemon8 and CapCut, which are also owned by TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance.
TikTok’s restoration is a welcome development for its 170 million American users, many of whom rely on the app for news, entertainment, community engagement, and even income generation. After weeks of uncertainty, this move provides much-needed relief.
Furthermore, it suggests that Trump may be poised to achieve a significant political victory by taking credit for restoring the popular platform. In a statement midday Sunday, TikTok acknowledged Trump’s promise to save the app, stating that it enabled the company to restore US users’ access even before the expected executive order was signed.
TikTok expressed gratitude to President Trump for providing the necessary clarity and assurance to its service providers, ensuring that they would not face penalties for providing TikTok to over 170 million Americans and supporting over 7 million small businesses. The company emphasized its commitment to working with President Trump on a long-term solution that maintains TikTok’s presence in the United States.
However, while TikTok’s shutdown was relatively brief, securing its long-term future in the US is likely to pose more challenges.
The path to securing TikTok’s future
In a Truth Social post on Sunday, former President Trump announced his intention to issue an executive order following his inauguration on Monday. The order aims to extend the period before the law’s prohibitions on TikTok take effect, allowing for negotiations to safeguard national security.
Trump urged TikTok’s partners to restore the app, assuring them that the order will clarify that no company that assisted in preventing TikTok’s shutdown before his order will face liability. He emphasized the importance of Americans seeing the exciting Inauguration on Monday and other events and conversations.
I’m asking companies not to let TikTok stay dark! I will issue an executive order on Monday to extend the period of time before the law’s prohibitions take effect, so that we can make a deal to protect our national security. The order will also confirm that there will be no liability for any company that helped keep TikTok from going dark before my order.
Americans deserve to see our exciting Inauguration on Monday, as well as other events and conversations.
I would like the United States to have a 50% ownership position in a joint venture. By doing this, we save TikTok, keep it in good hands and allow it to say up. Without U.S. approval, there is no Tik Tok. With our approval, it is worth hundreds of billions of dollars – maybe trillions.
Therefore, my initial thought is a joint venture between the current owners and/or new owners whereby the U.S. gets a 50% ownership in a joint venture set up between the U.S. and whichever purchase we so choose.” – President Donald Trump | TruthSocial (@realdonaldtrump)
Trump had previously considered a 90-day extension to the ban to provide time for negotiations to sell the app to a non-Chinese owner. In his post, he proposed a 50-50 joint venture between TikTok’s existing parent company, ByteDance, based in China, and a new, American owner.
Such an announcement could potentially serve as a swift political victory for Trump among America’s youth. While he supported a TikTok ban during his first term, he has recently expressed a desire to keep the app alive. On Sunday morning, he posted on Truth Social, “SAVE TIKTOK!” Last month, he even requested the Supreme Court to suspend the law, allowing his incoming administration to negotiate a deal to keep TikTok accessible to Americans. However, the Supreme Court upheld the law on Friday.
In response to the news of the app’s unavailability in the United States, TikTok appealed to Trump through a pop-up message on the app starting late Saturday night, informing users of the situation.
“We are fortunate that President Trump has expressed his intention to collaborate with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he assumes office,” the company stated in its pop-up message. “Please stay tuned for further updates!”
In a video response to the company’s Supreme Court loss on Friday, TikTok CEO Shou Chew expressed gratitude and pleasure in having the support of a president who truly comprehends our platform. He highlighted Trump’s use of TikTok to express his thoughts and perspectives, connecting with the world and garnering over 60 billion views of his content in the process.
During a press conference at Mar-a-Lago in December, Trump attributed his election victory in part to TikTok. He expressed a fondness for the platform and claimed to have secured a significant margin in the youth vote, with some attributing this success to TikTok.
The law banning TikTok gained strong bipartisan support in Congress due to national security concerns. While a Pew Research Center Survey conducted in 2023 revealed that approximately half of Americans supported the ban, it has consistently proven unpopular among younger generations.
With his executive order, Trump aims to delay the enforcement of the ban, providing TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, with more time to find an American owner. Trump’s message on Sunday may have served as a reassuring gesture to TikTok’s technology partners, including Oracle, which hosts TikTok’s content in the United States, and Apple and Google, which distribute the app on their app stores. These companies could face penalties of up to $5,000 per individual with access to TikTok if the ban is enforced under the law.
