TikTok Restoring US Service After Trump Broadcasts Plan to Delay Ban

TikTok stated Sunday it was within the means of restoring entry to its app after President-elect Donald Trump stated he would situation an government 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 Fact Social that he desires the U.S. to personal half of TikTok.

“In settlement with our service suppliers, TikTok is within the means 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 may face no penalties offering TikTok to over 170 million People and permitting over 7 million small companies to thrive.”

The app went “darkish” on Sunday after the Supreme Court docket 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 corporations to not let TikTok keep darkish! I’ll situation an government order on Monday to increase the time period 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, Fact Social. “The order can even verify that there might 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 homeowners and/or new homeowners 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 desire that TikTok keep below ByteDance’s management, they’ve additionally mentioned internally choices together with permitting a “trusted non-Chinese language social gathering” reminiscent of Elon Musk to purchase TikTok’s U.S. operations, in line with a number of stories final week.

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

“Pursuant to the Defending People from Overseas Adversary Managed Functions Act, apps developed by ByteDance Ltd. and its subsidiaries — together with TikTok, CapCut, Lemon8, and others — will now not be out there for obtain or updates on the App Retailer for customers in the USA beginning January 19, 2025,” Apple stated in a press release on its web site.