Less than 24 hours after dark, TikTok says it has come back online after President-elect Donald Trump gave assurances to the company's service providers (presumably Apple, Google and Oracle) that his administration will not pass a law banning the app would maintain in the future. first place.
“In accordance with our service providers, TikTok is in the process of restoring service,” the company wrote in a statement. “We thank President Trump for providing the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will not face penalties if they offer TikTok to It is a strong stand for the First Amendment and against arbitrary censorship. We will work with President Trump on a long-term solution that keeps TikTok in the United States.”
It's the latest salvo in the dramatic battle over TikTok's future in the US. Last year, Congress passed a law requiring ByteDance, TikTok's Chinese parent company, to divest its US operations or face a ban starting January 19. TikTok sued under the First Amendment, but lost in the Supreme Court. Last night, Apple and Google pulled the app from their respective app stores, as well as many other apps developed by ByteDance. According to The Information, Oracle has ordered employees to shut down servers hosting American TikTok data.
The move paved the way for newly elected President Trump, who had tried to ban TikTok during his time in office, to save the app before he is sworn in as president. “I will issue an executive order on Monday to extend the period before the bans go into effect so we can reach a deal to protect our national security,” he wrote on Truth Social on Sunday morning. “The order will also confirm that there is no liability for any company that helped prevent TikTok from going dark before my order.”
Technically, the law only allows Trump to extend the enforcement period if ByteDance makes real progress on a deal to divest its U.S. operations. Among those whose names have been mentioned as possible buyers: Elon Musk and fellow billionaire Frank McCourt. While McCourt was making an official offer, Musk's name was reportedly brought up in talks with the Chinese government, according to Bloomberg. “I would like to see the United States have a 50% ownership position in a joint venture,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “By doing this we save TikTok, keep it in good hands and let it speak. Without American approval, there is no Tik Tok. With our approval, it is worth hundreds of billions of dollars – perhaps trillions.”
TikTok, among other apps owned by ByteDance, is still not back on US app stores at the time of publication. But several users have reported being able to regain access to their timelines after being listed as unavailable last night. Others had regained access to their accounts, but with varying degrees of functionality.
