In an unexpected turn of events, President-elect Donald Trump announced the reinstatement of TikTok in the U.S. market via executive order on his first day in office.
This comes after President Joe Biden, in April 2024, signed the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, a bill that would ban TikTok operations in the United States. The regulation obliged TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to sell the app to a non-Chinese owner or face a complete shutdown.
Late on Saturday, TikTok users in the United States received a warning that read, “Sorry, TikTok isn’t available right now,” heralding the end of an era for the popular video-sharing network. The ban was primarily prompted by national security concerns, as lawmakers and US authorities have long been concerned about TikTok’s ties to China and possible access to user data.
BREAKING: TikTok confirms its services will be temporarily unavailable in the US pic.twitter.com/cgqMfppQ5U
— The Spectator Index (@spectatorindex) January 19, 2025
This prohibition was put into effect the day before Trump was scheduled to take office. In response, Trump promised to sign an executive order postponing the law’s bans, allowing for negotiations to find a solution that strikes a balance between national security considerations and TikTok’s ability to continue operating in the United States.
In a speech on Sunday before his inauguration, Trump declared that the United States would look for a joint venture to bring back the app that 170 million Americans use to share short videos.
”I will issue an executive order on Monday to extend the period of time before the law’s prohibitions take effect so that we can make a deal to protect our national security. The order will also confirm that there will be no liability for any company that helped keep TikTok from going dark before my order.
I would like the United States to have a 50% ownership position in a joint venture. By doing this, we save TikTok and allow it to say up. Without U.S. approval, there is no Tik Tok. With our approval, it is worth hundreds of billions of dollars – maybe trillions.
Therefore, my initial thought is a joint venture between the current owners and/or new owners whereby the U.S. gets a 50% ownership in a joint venture set up between the U.S. and whichever purchase we so choose.”
Following Trump’s declaration, TikTok promptly restored service for U.S. users and said on their official policy account on X (previously Twitter) expressing their gratitude to President Trump, emphasizing the platform’s importance to its users.
STATEMENT FROM TIKTOK:
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…
— TikTok Policy (@TikTokPolicy) January 19, 2025
As Trump prepares to assume the presidency, the future of TikTok in the U.S. remains uncertain. In the coming weeks, intense negotiations and legal battles are expected as various stakeholders work to secure the app’s place in the American digital landscape.
