TikTok restored service to users in the United States on Sunday just hours after the went dark in response to , which President-elect Donald Trump said he would try to pause by executive order on his first day in office.
Trump said he planned to issue the order to give TikTokB次元官网网址檚 China-based parent company to find an before the ban takes full effect. He announced the move on his Truth Social account as millions of U.S. TikTok users awoke to discover they could the TikTok app or platform.
But by Sunday afternoon, a message greeted those who signed on thanking them B次元官网网址� and the president-elect B次元官网网址� for their support.
B次元官网网址淎s a result of President 罢谤耻尘辫B次元官网网址檚 efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S.!B次元官网网址� the message read.
TikTok said it shut down the platform late Saturday because of a federal law that required parent company ByteDance to sell its U.S. operation by Sunday. also removed TikTok from their digital stores. The law, which passed with in April, allows for steep fines.
While the company that runs TikTok in the U.S. said on X that the steps Trump outlined Sunday provided B次元官网网址渢he necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will face no penalties,B次元官网网址� the TikTok app remained remained unavailable for download in and GoogleB次元官网网址檚 app stores.
B次元官网网址淚t was a brilliant marketing stunt for both TikTok and incoming president Donald Trump,B次元官网网址� Jasmine Enberg, an analyst with market research firm Emarketer, said. B次元官网网址淏y abruptly shutting off service, TikTok proved how unpopular the ban was among its users.B次元官网网址�
Why was TikTok banned? What can Trump do about it?
The law that took effect Sunday required ByteDance to cut ties with the platformB次元官网网址檚 U.S. operations due to national security concerns. However, the statute authorized the sitting president to grant a 90-day extension if a viable sale was underway.
Although investors made some offers, ByteDance has said it would not sell. Trump said his order would B次元官网网址渆xtend the period of time before the lawB次元官网网址檚 prohibitions take effectB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址渃onfirm that there will be no liability for any company that helped keep TikTok from going dark before my order.B次元官网网址�
It wasnB次元官网网址檛 immediately clear how 罢谤耻尘辫B次元官网网址檚 promised action would fare from a legal standpoint since the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously upheld the ban on Friday and the statute came into force the day before 罢谤耻尘辫B次元官网网址檚 return to the White House.
B次元官网网址淚 think Trump can at least make an argument that the language is meant to cover any president,B次元官网网址� University of Richmond law professor Carl Tobias said.
Some lawmakers who voted for the sale-or-ban law, including some of 罢谤耻尘辫B次元官网网址檚 , remain in favor of it. Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas warned companies Sunday not to provide TikTok with technical support.
B次元官网网址淎ny company that hosts, distributes, services, or otherwise facilitates communist-controlled TikTok could face hundreds of billions of dollars of ruinous liability under the law,B次元官网网址� Cotton wrote on X. B次元官网网址淭hink about it.B次元官网网址�
Constitutional and business law attorney Kirk McGill said he thinks Trump lacks the legal authority to suspend the ban but itB次元官网网址檚 unlikely the question would reach a court in the time it might take TikTok to find a buyer.
ItB次元官网网址檚 also unlikely that Apple or Google will face legal consequences if they move forward with 罢谤耻尘辫B次元官网网址檚 demands, given that his administration would have to initiate any prosecutions, McGill said.
B次元官网网址淚n the next week or two, before the courts have the chance to do anything, this is certainly going to be a political fight, not a legal one,B次元官网网址� McGill said.
TikTok shuts off B次元官网网址� but only temporarily?
The on-and-off availability of TikTok came after the Supreme Court ruled that the risk to national security posed by TikTokB次元官网网址檚 ties to China outweighed concerns about limiting speech by the app or its millions of U.S. users.
When TikTok users in the U.S. tried to watch or post videos on as of Saturday night, they saw a pop-up message under the headline, B次元官网网址淪orry, TikTok isnB次元官网网址檛 available right now.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淎 law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S.,B次元官网网址� the message said. B次元官网网址淯nfortunately that means you canB次元官网网址檛 use TikTok for now.B次元官网网址�
The app was removed late Saturday from prominent app stores and remained so as of Sunday afternoon. Apple told customers it also took down other apps developed by ByteDance. They included Lemon8, which some influencers had promoted , the popular video editing app CapCut and photo editor Hypic.
B次元官网网址淎pple is obligated to follow the laws in the jurisdictions where it operates,B次元官网网址� the company said.
Google declined to comment. Apple did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment on the dayB次元官网网址檚 developments.
Experts had said the law as written did not require TikTok to take down its platform, only for to remove it. Current users expected to continue to have access to videos until a lack of updates caused the app to stop working.
After TikTok was back online Sunday, content creator Tiffany Watson, 20, said she was B次元官网网址減retty hopefulB次元官网网址� it would stay up. At the same time, Watson said her dedication B次元官网网址渟olelyB次元官网网址� to the platform declined during the months the threat of a ban loomed.
B次元官网网址淥verall, I hope that creators will succeed and find community in spite of the unpredictability of TikTok,B次元官网网址� she said.
Will the banB次元官网网址檚 timing help TikTok?
罢谤耻尘辫B次元官网网址檚 plan to spare TikTok on his first day in office reflected the banB次元官网网址檚 coincidental timing and the unusual mix of political considerations surrounding a social media platform that first gained popularity with featuring dances and music clips.
During his first presidential term, Trump in 2020 banning dealings with ByteDance and the owners of the Chinese messaging app WeChat, moves that courts subsequently blocked.
Trump has since credited TikTok with helping him win support from young voters in last yearB次元官网网址檚 presidential election. TikTok CEO Shou Chew is expected to attend inauguration with a prime seating location.
罢谤耻尘辫B次元官网网址檚 choice for national security adviser, Michael Waltz, told CBS B次元官网网址 on Sunday that the president-elect discussed TikTok during a weekend call with Chinese President Xi Jinping B次元官网网址渁nd they agreed to work together on this.B次元官网网址�
The Biden administration has also stressed in recent days that it did not intend to implement or enforce the ban before Trump takes office on Monday.
Who are possible buyers of TikTok?
it would not sell TikTok, and no likely buyer has emerged.
On Saturday, artificial intelligence startup submitted a proposal to ByteDance to create a new entity that merges Perplexity with TikTokB次元官网网址檚 U.S. business, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Perplexity is not asking to purchase the ByteDance algorithm that feeds TikTok userB次元官网网址檚 videos based on their interests.
In Washington, lawmakers and administration officials have that the algorithm is vulnerable to manipulation by China. To date, the U.S. has not publicly provided evidence of TikTok providing user data to Chinese authorities or tinkering with the algorithm to benefit Chinese interests.
Another unknown is whether Trump will remain a TikTok fan.
B次元官网网址淗eB次元官网网址檚 flip-flopped on his stance toward TikTok before, and thereB次元官网网址檚 no guarantee he wonB次元官网网址檛 do so again,B次元官网网址� EMarketerB次元官网网址檚 Enberg said.
