TikTok Resumes Service in the U.S. Following Brief Suspension
After a brief outage, TikTok restored access for users in the United States on Sunday. The popular video-sharing platform was temporarily inaccessible due to a federal ban that took effect, which President-elect Donald Trump announced he would attempt to delay via executive order on his first day in office.
Trump indicated his intention to issue an executive order to extend the timeframe for TikTok’s Beijing-based parent company, ByteDance, to secure an approved buyer. This announcement was made on Trump’s Truth Social account as millions of American users found themselves unable to access the app early Sunday.
By Sunday afternoon, TikTok users in the U.S. were greeted with a message thanking them for their patience and acknowledging the efforts of the President-elect. The message declared, “As a result of President Trump’s efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S.!”
TikTok had initially ceased operations late Saturday night due to a legal requirement mandating ByteDance to divest its U.S. operations by Sunday. This law, approved with broad bipartisan support in April, imposes significant penalties for non-compliance. As a result, TikTok was also removed from Google and Apple’s app stores.
Despite TikTok’s return, the app remained unavailable for download in both Apple and Google’s digital stores. A TikTok representative stated on X that the actions outlined by Trump provided “the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will face no penalties.”
Federal Ban and Potential Interventions
The legislation compelling ByteDance to relinquish its U.S. operations is rooted in national security concerns. However, the law allows the sitting president to extend the deadline by 90 days if a legitimate sale is underway. Although some investors have made proposals, ByteDance maintains it will not sell. Trump’s executive order aims to extend the period before the law’s restrictions are fully enforced and ensure no liabilities for entities preventing TikTok from shutting down.
The legal standing of Trump’s intended actions remains uncertain, especially after the U.S. Supreme Court’s unanimous decision upholding the ban. Rep. Mike Gallagher, the bill’s author, emphasized on Fox News that “there is no extension” for TikTok.
University of Richmond law professor Carl Tobias remarked, “I think Trump can at least make an argument that the language is meant to cover any president.”
Some legislators who supported the sale-or-ban law continue to back it, including certain Republicans allied with Trump. Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas cautioned companies against providing technical support to TikTok.
TikTok’s Temporary Shutdown
The brief shutdown followed a Supreme Court ruling that prioritized national security concerns over potential speech limitations on TikTok. During the suspension, users encountered a message stating, “Sorry, TikTok isn’t available right now,” accompanied by an explanation about the new law.
Apple and Google removed TikTok from their app stores as part of compliance with the law. Apple also removed other ByteDance apps, such as Lemon8 and CapCut. Google did not comment, and Apple did not immediately respond to inquiries.
Experts noted that the law doesn’t explicitly require TikTok to take down its platform, only for app stores to remove it. Current users may continue accessing videos until the app becomes non-functional due to lack of updates.
Content creator Tiffany Watson expressed optimism about TikTok’s return, though she noted a shift in her focus away from the platform amid the ban’s uncertainty.
Future of TikTok and Potential Buyers
While Trump’s administration intends to delay the ban, ByteDance has insisted it will not sell TikTok, and no prospective buyer has emerged publicly. Perplexity AI, an AI startup, proposed creating a new entity by merging with TikTok’s U.S. operations. This proposal does not include acquiring ByteDance’s algorithm, which has been a point of contention among U.S. lawmakers due to potential manipulation risks.
Trump’s actions and the timing of the ban have sparked political discussions rather than immediate legal battles. TikTok CEO Shou Chew is expected to attend Trump’s inauguration, highlighting the platform’s political and cultural significance.
