Just mere hours after going dark amid a ban in the U.S., TikTok has announced that it has officially restored service to over 170 million users in America while thanking President-elect Donald Trump for “his efforts,” even though he was the President to propose a TikTok ban during his first presidency in 2020.
RELATED: President Joe Biden Decides Not To Enforce Looming TikTok Ban, Instead Leaves Chinese App’s Fate To President-Elect Donald Trump
On Saturday evening (January 18), TikTok’s Beijing, China-based parent company ByteDance began removing access to their apps TikTok, CapCut, and Lemon8 in the United States. The Chinese company obliged President Joe Biden and his administration’s January 19 ban and went dark a couple of hours before the deadline.
Earlier that day however, before TikTok went dark, Donald Trump claimed that he would likely give ByteDance a 90-day extension as all parties try to figure out a solution to keep the platform up and running in the U.S. indefinitely. After TikTok went dark on Saturday night, the following morning, Donald Trump took to his account on Truth Social to plead with other companies “not to let TikTok stay dark.”
RELATED: White House Says TikTok’s Threat To ‘Go Dark’ On January 19, Without Joe Biden’s Support, Is A ‘Stunt’
On Sunday (January 19), he wrote, “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.”
Trump continued, “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 stay up. Without U.S. approval, there is no TikTok. 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.”
RELATED: Chinese-Owned ByteDance Apps TikTok, CapCut, And Lemon8 Officially Suspend Service, Pulled From App Stores Hours Before U.S. Ban On January 19
Just a couple of hours after Trump’s Truth Social post about signing an executive order delaying a TikTok ban, the app began restoring services to its American users, while releasing a statement. In a post from TikTokPolicy on X (formerly Twitter), a message read, “In agreement with our service providers, TikTok is in the process of restoring service.”
The message continued, “We thank President Trump for providing the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will face no penalties for providing TikTok to over 170 million Americans and allowing over 7 million small businesses to thrive. It’s 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.”
RELATED: ICYF: Donald Trump Wanted To Ban TikTok In 2020 And It’s Now Up To Him To ‘Save’ It In 2025
Shortly after TikTok’s X post about restoring Americans’ access to its platform, users began posting screenshots about a new alert that popped up for them upon opening the app. On Saturday evening, users were met with the message, “A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now. We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office. Please stay tuned!”
On Sunday morning, a new alert read, “Welcome back! Thanks for your patience and support. As a result of President Trump’s efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S.! You can continue to create, share, and discover all the things you love on TikTok.”
RELATED: Donald Trump Tells Companies ‘Not To Let TikTok Stay Dark’ As He Plans To Sign Executive Order On January 20 For Extension; Proposes U.S. Take 50% Ownership Of App To Keep Operations In America
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