TikTok said on Sunday it was restoring its service after US President-elect Donald Trump said he would reactivate access to the app in the US when he returns to power on Monday.
The statement came after American users reported they could access the Chinese-owned service’s website, while the much more widely used TikTok app did not appear to be immediately available.
“In accordance with our service providers, TikTok is in the process of restoring service,” TikTok said in a statement in which it thanked Trump for “providing the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will not face sanctions.” . [for] providing TikTok to more than 170 million Americans and enabling more than 7 million small businesses to thrive.”
TikTok stopped working in the United States late on Saturday and disappeared from the Apple and Google app stores ahead of a law that takes effect on Sunday that requires the closure of the platform used by 170 million Americans.
Trump previously said he would “most likely” give TikTok a break from the 90-day ban after he takes office on Monday, a promise TikTok cited in a notice posted to users on the app.
“In the United States, a law has been enacted that prohibits TikTok. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now. We are lucky that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to restore TikTok once he takes office. Stay tuned,” the message notified users trying to use the app on Saturday night.
Trump said he would revive access to TikTok in the United States through an executive order after being sworn in on Monday, but said he wants the popular social media app to be owned by at least half by American investors.
“I would like the United States to have a 50 percent stake in a joint venture. By doing this, we save TikTok, keep it in good hands, and let it speak,” he wrote on his own social media platform Truth Social.
Trump said the executive order would specify that there would be no liability for any company that helped prevent TikTok from disappearing before his order.
Although temporary, the unprecedented shutdown of TikTok, owned by China’s ByteDance, will have a wide-ranging impact on US-China relations, US domestic politics, the social media market, and millions of Americans who depend on of the application economically and culturally. .
The United States has never banned a major social media platform. The law overwhelmingly passed by Congress gives the incoming Trump administration broad authority to ban or seek the sale of other Chinese-owned apps.
Other ByteDance-owned apps, including video editing app CapCut and social lifestyle app Lemon8, were also offline and unavailable in U.S. app stores as of Saturday evening.
“The 90-day extension is something that will probably be done because it’s appropriate,” Trump said. NBC. “If I decide to do that, I’ll probably announce it on Monday.”
It was unclear if any US users could still access the app, but it was no longer working for many users, and people looking to access it through a web app were encountering the same message that TikTok was no longer working.
TikTok, which has captivated nearly half of Americans, boosted small businesses and shaped online culture, warned Friday that it would stop operating in the United States on Sunday unless President Joe Biden’s administration provide assurances to companies like Apple and Google that they will not face enforcement action when a ban goes into effect.
Go to alternatives
Under the law passed last year and confirmed Friday by a unanimous Supreme Court ruling, the platform had until Sunday to cut ties with its China-based parent or close its U.S. operation to resolve concerns that it represents a threat to national security.
The Biden White House reiterated Saturday that it was up to the incoming administration to take action.
“We see no reason for TikTok or other companies to take action in the coming days before the Trump administration takes office on Monday,” press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.
TikTok did not respond to a request for comment on the White House statement.
China’s embassy in Washington on Friday accused the United States of using unfair state power to suppress TikTok. “China will take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard its legitimate rights and interests,” a spokesperson said.
Uncertainty about the app’s future had caused mostly young users to look for alternatives, including China-based RedNote. Rivals Meta and Snap have seen their share prices rise this month ahead of the ban, as investors bet on an influx of users and advertising dollars.
“This is my new home now,” one user wrote in a RedNote post, tagged with the words “tiktokrefugee” and “sad.”
Minutes after TikTok shut down in the United States, other users turned to X, formerly called Twitter.
“I really didn’t think they would cut TikTok. Now I’m sad and I miss the friends I made there. Hoping everything will be back in a few days,” wrote @RavenclawJedi.
‘Hair on Fire’ moment
NordVPN, a popular virtual private network, or VPN, that allows users to access the Internet from servers around the world, said it was “experiencing temporary technical difficulties.”
Web searches for “VPN” spiked minutes after American users lost access to TikTok, according to Google Trends.
Instagram users worried about whether they would still receive products they had purchased from TikTok Shop, the e-commerce arm of the video platform.
Marketing companies that rely on TikTok have scrambled to prepare contingency plans in what one executive described as a “hair on fire” moment after months of conventional wisdom saying a solution to keep the app in business would materialize. operation.
There have been signs that TikTok could return under the Trump administration, who has said he wants to seek a “political resolution” to the issue and last month urged the Supreme Court to halt implementation of the ban.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew plans to attend the US presidential inauguration and attend a rally with Trump on Sunday, a source said. Reuters.
Suitors, including former Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt, have expressed interest in the fast-growing business that analysts estimate could be worth up to $50 billion. Media reports say Beijing has also held talks about selling TikTok’s US operations to billionaire and Trump ally Elon Musk, although the company has denied this.
US search engine startup Perplexity AI submitted an offer on Saturday to ByteDance for Perplexity to merge with TikTok US, a source familiar with the company’s plans said. Reuters. Perplexity would merge with TikTok US and create a new entity by combining the merged company with other partners, the person added.
Privately held ByteDance is 60 percent owned by institutional investors such as BlackRock and General Atlantic, while its founders and employees own 20 percent each. It has more than 7,000 employees in the United States.
