TikTok Resumes Service in the US, Thanks Trump for Support

After facing regulatory hurdles, TikTok has restored its services in the US and expressed gratitude to former President Donald Trump for his support.

President-elect Donald Trump revealed plans on Sunday to issue an executive order aimed at reversing the shutdown of TikTok in the US, which occurred just a few hours after the well-known video app became inaccessible to its 170 million American users.

According to a post on his social media platform, Trump announced that he would pursue the US acquiring a 50% stake in TikTok through a joint venture.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump urged companies to prevent TikTok from going offline: “I am calling for action so that TikTok does not remain inaccessible. On Monday, I will issue an executive order extending the timeframe before the law’s restrictions are enforced. This extension is intended to facilitate negotiations aimed at safeguarding our national security. Additionally, the order will ensure that any company assisting in keeping TikTok operational prior to my directive will face no liability.”

He stated, “TikTok cannot operate without US approval. With our endorsement, its value could reach hundreds of billions or potentially trillions of dollars.”

The Chinese-owned app stopped operating late Saturday and was removed from US app stores after ByteDance, its parent company, missed a January 19 deadline to sell its American operations in compliance with a federal law passed the previous year.

On Friday, the Supreme Court confirmed that the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act is constitutional. This act requires either the sale or shutdown of certain applications due to national security concerns.

Other apps from ByteDance, such as the video editor CapCut and the social platform Lemon8, were also taken down from US app stores.

When TikTok went offline, the Chinese app RedNote surged to become the most downloaded free app on Apple’s App Store. Millions of Americans adopted the hashtag “#tiktokrefugee” as they transitioned to this new platform.

Trump’s proposed executive order would grant ByteDance a 90-day extension to secure an approved buyer. Sources familiar with the situation have indicated that TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is anticipated to attend Trump’s inauguration on Monday.

Both the White House and TikTok did not provide an immediate response to requests for comment