Less than 24 hours after the app was shut down, TikTok says it is back online after President-elect Donald Trump gave the company’s service providers — presumably Apple, Google and Oracle — assurances that his administration would not enforce a law banning the app in the United States. First place.
“In agreement with our service providers, TikTok is working to restore service. We thank President Trump for providing the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will not face any penalties for offering TikTok to our users,” the company wrote in a statement. More than 170 million Americans and allowing more than 7 million small businesses to thrive, it is a strong position in favor 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 battle over TikTok’s future in the United States. 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 filed a lawsuit on First Amendment grounds but lost in the Supreme Court. Last night, Apple and Google pulled the app from their app stores, along with several other apps developed by ByteDance. Oracle has reportedly asked employees to shut down servers hosting TikTok US data, according to a report Information.
The move paved the way for President-elect Trump, who tried to ban TikTok while in office, to save the app before he was sworn in as president. He added: “I will issue an executive order on Monday to extend the period of time before the ban imposed by the law goes into effect, so that we can reach an agreement to protect our national security.” Books on social truth Sunday morning. “The order will also confirm that there will be no liability for any company that helped prevent TikTok from going dark prior to my order.”
Technically, the law allows Trump to extend the implementation deadline only if ByteDance makes real progress on a deal to divest its US operations. Among those named as potential acquirers: Elon Musk and fellow billionaire Frank McCourt. While McCourt presented Official offerThe name was musk It reportedly floated In discussions with the Chinese government, according to Bloomberg. “I would like the United States to take 50% ownership in a joint venture,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “By doing this, we save TikTok, keep it in good hands, and allow it to express itself. Without US approval, there would be no TikTok. With our approval, it is worth hundreds of billions of dollars, perhaps trillions.”
TikTok, as well as other ByteDance-owned apps, had not returned to US app stores as of press time. But several users reported being able to access their schedules again after they were listed as unavailable last night. Others regained access to their accounts, but with varying degrees of functionality.