TikTok, the popular video-sharing platform, has resumed services in the US after a brief 1-day ban. The ban was enforced due to a federal law that required TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to sell its US operations by January 18 or face a nationwide ban. As a result, TikTok went offline late Saturday after both Google and Apple removed the app from their stores. This move was in line with a bipartisan law passed in April that raised concerns over national security due to TikTok’s ties to China.
Trump Delays Restrictions
However, TikTok’s ban was short-lived. President-elect Donald Trump announced plans to delay the restrictions by issuing an executive order. This order gives ByteDance more time to find a US-approved buyer for its US operations. The executive order also ensures that companies supporting TikTok during this transition will not face penalties. TikTok services in US were restored on Sunday afternoon, and ByteDance expressed gratitude to Trump for providing clarity during this uncertain time.
TikTok, which has over 170 million users in the United States, was temporarily unavailable, leaving millions of creators and users scrambling for alternatives. Users received pop-up messages on the app, stating, “Sorry, TikTok isn’t available right now.” This brief disruption left many wondering about the future of the platform in the US
National Security Concerns
The ban was largely driven by national security concerns. US lawmakers have expressed worry about TikTok’s connection to China, particularly over how user data might be handled. The Biden administration had initiated the ban but delayed its enforcement, leaving Trump’s administration to decide TikTok’s fate.
Despite the pressure, ByteDance has resisted selling its US operations and has not found a suitable buyer yet, even though there have been several offers. One of the most recent offers came from AI startup Perplexity AI, which proposed a merger.
TikTok CEO Attends Trump’s Inauguration
TikTok’s CEO, Shou Chew, is expected to attend Trump’s inauguration on Monday. Chew has thanked Trump for his strong stance in favor of the First Amendment and against what he called “arbitrary censorship.” Meanwhile, Trump’s choice for national security adviser, Michael Waltz, confirmed that talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping will continue to address the future of TikTok.
TikTok’s Temporary Disruption in the US
TikTok has returned to the US after a brief interruption. With President-elect Trump’s intervention, ByteDance has more time to find a solution to keep TikTok running in the US The future of TikTok in the US remains uncertain, but for now, the platform continues to serve millions of American users.
