Less than 24 hours after dark, TikTok says it returned online after President-elect Donald Trump gave the company’s service providers (presumably Apple, Google and Oracle) assurances that his administration would not would not enforce a law banning the app in the country. first place.
“In agreement with our service providers, TikTok is in the process of restoring service,” the company wrote in a statement. “We thank President Trump for providing necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will not face any penalties if TikTok reaches more than 170 million Americans and enables more than 7 million small businesses to thrive. This is a strong stand in support of 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 fight for the future of TikTok in the United States. Last year, Congress passed a law requiring ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, to divest its U.S. operations or face a ban starting January 19. TikTok sued on First Amendment grounds, but lost in the Supreme Court. Last night, Apple and Google removed the app from their respective app stores, along with many other apps developed by ByteDance. Oracle reportedly asked its employees to shut down servers that hosted TikTok data in the United States, according to The information.
The move paved the way for President-elect Trump, who had attempted to ban TikTok while in office, to save the app before being sworn in as president. “I will issue an executive order on Monday to extend the deadline before the law’s prohibitions take effect, so that we can reach an agreement to protect our national security,” he wrote on Truth Social Sunday morning. “The order will also confirm that there will be no liability for any company that helped keep TikTok from going dark before my order.”
Technically, the law only allows Trump to extend the enforcement deadline if ByteDance makes real progress on a deal to divest its U.S. business. Among those whose names have been mentioned as potential buyers: Elon Musk and his fellow billionaire Frank McCourt. While McCourt did an official offerMusk’s name was would have floated in discussions with the Chinese government, according to Bloomberg. “I would like the United States to have a 50% stake in a joint venture,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “By doing this, we are saving TikTok, keeping it in safe hands and allowing it to express itself. Without US approval, there is no Tik Tok. With our approval, it’s worth hundreds of billions of dollars, if not billions. »
TikTok, as well as other ByteDance-owned apps, is still not back in US app stores as of press time. But several users reported being able to access their timelines again after being listed as unavailable last night. Others have regained access to their accounts, but with more or less complete functionality.
