- TikTok working for Americans again
- Trump promised executive order to give the app a reprieve
- Trump takes office on Monday 20 Janaury
- US Govt had tried to force TikTok to sell its US operations
TikTok restores service in the US following Trump’s promise
TikTok has resumed operations for its 170 million users in the United States after President-elect Donald Trump announced plans to issue an executive order granting the app a temporary reprieve upon taking office on Monday.
The Chinese-owned platform had ceased functioning for American users on Saturday evening after a law banning the app over national security concerns went into effect.
Though Trump had previously supported banning TikTok, he announced on Sunday that he would delay enforcement of the law to provide time for a deal to be reached. Shortly after, TikTok announced it was “restoring service,” and the app began functioning again.
Millions of users received a pop-up message thanking Trump by name. TikTok also released a statement expressing gratitude to the incoming president for offering “clarity and assurance” and pledged to collaborate with the administration on a long-term solution to ensure the app’s continued presence in the U.S.
TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, had previously failed to comply with a law requiring it to sell its U.S. operations to avoid a ban. The law was upheld by the Supreme Court on Friday and took effect Sunday.
It remains unclear what legal authority Trump will have to delay a law already in force, but experts expect his administration may halt enforcement of the ban through an executive order.