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TikTok’s Temporary Reprieve

Over the weekend, TikTok users across the United States experienced a sudden interruption in service, only to see the app restored hours later. On Saturday night, TikTok became inaccessible to its US user base. This action was in compliance with a federal law requiring ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, to divest its US operations by January 19, 2025, due to national security concerns. The US Supreme Court had unanimously upheld this law, leading to the app’s removal from major platforms and leaving millions of users without access.
President-elect Trump’s Intervention
In response to the shutdown, President-elect Donald Trump announced his intention to issue an executive order delaying the enforcement of the ban. He proposed a 90-day extension to allow ByteDance time to negotiate a deal, potentially involving a joint venture with a US company holding a significant ownership stake.
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The shutdown was not limited to TikTok. The removal of other ByteDance apps from the Google Play Store and Apple App Store, such as Lemon8 and CapCut, left consumers and developers frantically looking for replacements.
Following President-elect Trump’s announcement, TikTok began restoring its services in the US. By Sunday afternoon, TikTok was back up and running. The company expressed gratitude for the clarity provided by the incoming administration, which enabled them to resume operations without facing immediate legal repercussions. However, the app remained unavailable for new downloads on major app stores, pending further negotiations and compliance measures.
“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. 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.” Tiktok said in a statement.
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Ongoing Concerns and Future Implications
Trump has credited TikTok with helping him connect with younger voters during last year’s election, though his stance on the app has not always been favorable. During his first term, he signed executive orders to ban TikTok and the Chinese messaging app WeChat, though these moves were ultimately blocked by the courts. As he prepares to officially assume the presidency at noon on Monday, Trump has indicated that one of his first actions will be signing an executive order to delay TikTok’s ban.
“I’m asking companies not to let TikTok stay dark! 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.” Trump posted on Truth social.
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Central to Trump’s plan is a proposed joint venture where the United States would hold a 50% ownership position in a joint venture. “By doing this, we save TikTok, keep it in good hands, and allow it to stay up. Without US approval, there is no TikTok. With our approval, it is worth hundreds of billions of dollars – maybe trillions,” he posted