TikTok Restoring US Service After Trump Broadcasts Plan to Delay Ban

TikTok stated Sunday it was within the strategy of restoring entry to its app after President-elect Donald Trump stated he would situation an govt order on Monday to delay banning the Chinese language-owned social media app.

Trump, whose inauguration is at midday ET on Monday, additionally stated in a publish on his social media platform Reality Social that he needs the U.S. to personal half of TikTok.

“In settlement with our service suppliers, TikTok is within the strategy of restoring service,” TikTok stated in a publish on X. “We thank President Trump for offering the mandatory readability and assurance to our service suppliers that they’ll face no penalties offering TikTok to over 170 million Individuals and permitting over 7 million small companies to thrive.”

The app went “darkish” on Sunday after the Supreme Courtroom on Friday upheld a legislation requiring its father or mother ByteDance promote the platform or face a U.S. ban. A legislation handed by Congress and signed by President Joe Biden in April required that TikTok’s Chinese language father or mother firm divest the short-video web site Jan. 19 or not be allowed to function within the U.S. on nationwide safety grounds. 

“I’m asking firms to not let TikTok keep darkish! I’ll situation an govt order on Monday to increase the time frame earlier than the legislation’s prohibitions take impact, in order that we will make a deal to guard our nationwide safety,” Trump stated in a publish on his social media platform, Reality Social. “The order will even affirm that there will probably be no legal responsibility for any firm that helped hold TikTok from going darkish earlier than my order.”

Trump Seeks 50% US Possession of TikTok

“My preliminary thought is a three way partnership between the present house owners and/or new house owners whereby the U.S. will get a 50% possession in a three way partnership arrange between the U.S. and whichever buy we so select,” Trump added, noting such a transfer would “save TikTok.”

Although Chinese language officers choose that TikTok keep underneath ByteDance’s management, they’ve additionally mentioned internally choices together with permitting a “trusted non-Chinese language occasion” reminiscent of Elon Musk to purchase TikTok’s U.S. operations, in accordance with a number of studies final week.

Nonetheless, the app was now not accessible on Alphabet’s (GOOGL) Google Play Retailer and Apple’s (AAPL) App Retailer within the U.S. early Sunday afternoon.

“Pursuant to the Defending Individuals from Overseas Adversary Managed Purposes Act, apps developed by ByteDance Ltd. and its subsidiaries — together with TikTok, CapCut, Lemon8, and others — will now not be accessible for obtain or updates on the App Retailer for customers in america beginning January 19, 2025,” Apple stated in an announcement on its web site.