TikTok has restored its services in the United States following a brief nationwide shutdown caused by a federal ban over national security concerns tied to its Chinese ownership.
The ban, which took effect on Sunday, temporarily forced TikTok offline, leaving over 170 million US users without access to the platform.
It also led to the app being removed from Apple and Google’s digital stores in compliance with federal regulations.
However, Donald Trump, the U.S. president-elect, pledged to delay the enforcement of the ban through an executive order on his first day in office.
On the eve of his swearing-in, Trump told a rally in Washington that he would allow the app to continue operating in the U.S., “but let the United States of America own 50 per cent of TikTok.”
“TikTok is worth nothing, zero without an approval,” to operate, Trump said.
“If you do approve, they’re worth like a trillion dollars, they’re worth some crazy number.
“I’m approving on behalf of the United States, so they’ll have a partner, the United States, and they’ll have a lot of bidders and the United States will do what we call a joint venture,” Trump added.
The popular app blocked access for U.S.-based users for about 12 hours on Sunday.
This was due to a new U.S. law mandating TikTok either be sold by its current Chinese owners, ByteDance, or else be banned in the country, was set to come into force.
The app came back online after Trump, who is set to take office on Monday, said that he would issue an executive order reinstating the platform in the U.S.
In a statement on X, TikTok appreciated Trump for providing “the necessary clarity and assurance” for service providers to support the app without fear of penalties.
“In agreement with our service providers, TikTok is in the process of restoring service. We thank President Trump for providing the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will face no penalties providing TikTok to over 170 million Americans and allowing over 7 million small businesses to thrive,” the company said.
“It’s a strong stand for 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.”
According to reports, some users gained partial access to TikTok shortly after the announcement, although the app remains unavailable for download on Apple and Google’s stores.
